Forever
by MonsieurToast
Summary: Things changed after Kuvira's fall. Not just for the world, but for its Avatar, as well. From out of pain came love, and from the lessons of the old, a new world was being built. As Korra and Asami move forward with their relationship, they face their ultimate test as a string of unusual murders and disappearances strikes both worlds, prompting Korra and her friends to investigate.
1. All Good Things

**The Legend of Korra:**  
><strong>Forever<strong>

**Chapter One  
><strong>  
><strong>All Good Things<strong>

Freshly fallen snow blanketed the tops of rustic Southern homes and dusted the icy arctic ground, the scent of chimney smoke filling the air as the morning sun staked its claim to the sky. As sunlight glimmered in through her bedroom window, a young woman stirred, her eyes fluttering open to greet the day – her first day back in the Physical World in over two months. Rubbing her eyes, the young Avatar, Korra, sat up in her bed, her eyes beginning to adjust, and she saw that the light coming in from her window was now being obstructed by a rather familiar form, one which only made her smile.

"Good morning, Korra." Korra could practically _hear_ the smile behind those words, regardless of whether or not her eyes had focused enough to see it yet. And, unsurprisingly enough, when they had, a smile was precisely what she was greeted with, her girlfriend cheerfully welcoming her back to the waking world and sitting up in bed right beside her. It looked like she was already dressed, and as she looked around, Korra realized that she was, as well. The blankets also appeared to be largely undisturbed beneath the two of them, indicating that whenever it was they got here, they just kicked off their shoes and plopped right into bed. No wonder she still felt so exhausted, last night must've been a long one.

"Good morning, Asami." She groggily replied, stretching out her arms above her head with a yawn, trying to remember what had happened the night before. This certainly didn't _seem_ like the Spirit World. After all, the two of them were in an actual bed again, something that the Spirit World had a rather severe lack of. Though the more she thought about it, the more she realized this was technically the first time she'd ever actually shared a bed with Asami. If she were a little more awake and gave that line of reasoning a little bit more thought, her face would probably be turning pretty red right about now. But, that was not the case. "We're home?" She asked, looking to confirm her suspicions.

"Yeah, we came back last night through the Southern Spirit Portal. Don't you remember? I'd have thought you'd recognize your own room, you must still be pretty tired." Asami explained. Korra never was the most alert person in the world immediately after waking up. Or at least, she hadn't been while around Asami. Having spent their last two months together in the Spirit World, Korra was allowed to be as relaxed as she wanted to be for once, a fact which she had taken full advantage of. If there was a more alert Waking Korra than this, it was a Waking Korra which Asami had yet to see.

Not that she was complaining of course, that cluelessness was kind of cute. But, it was just nice getting to see her be so carefree around somebody. To be perfectly honest, she'd never seen Korra willingly let her guard down so much around somebody else before. She wasn't just happy, she also felt safe. Safe enough that she was willing to stop worrying, stop trying and let her hair down a little. The trust that Korra had for her was never more plain than it was in the morning, in her eyes.

"Wait... _my_ room?" Rubbing her eyes a second time, as she took a closer look around, Korra found herself back in her old room at the South Pole, just as Asami had described. That's right, how could she have forgotten about that? Was it the typical morning fog, or was she really just that used to waking up in the Spirit World now? Whatever the case, as she finished waking herself up, the events of the night before came flooding back to her.

After finally making the decision to return home from the Spirit World, she and Asami talked it over and had decided to exit through the Southern Spirit Portal and pay Korra's family a visit first, rather than head straight on back to Republic City. They figured that they might as well try and drag out their vacation together a little bit longer in the Physical World, as well, and Korra had been expressing interest in telling her family about her and Asami's new relationship before anybody else. Given everything that'd happened lately, both good and bad, she was feeling kind of homesick, anyway.

It actually went a lot better than either of them had expected, too. Rather than being confused by her decision or finding the whole thing kind of strange, Korra's parents actually seemed pretty accepting of the idea, and actually quite happy for their daughter, welcoming Asami into their home like she was family almost immediately. Part of her wondered if maybe they already knew? Korra had no idea how they could have, but then, a parent's intuition could be a pretty powerful thing, so who knows. Maybe it just really wasn't that big of a deal.

Combined with the fact that they'd pretty much been sleeping together every night in the Spirit World anyway, a lack of extra space prompted the two of them to simply share Korra's bed in her old room for the night, the two of them pretty tired and heading straight to sleep shortly after arriving. It was one of the best nights of sleep Korra had ever had, too. Come to think of it, a lot of her nights had been the best nights of her life, lately. She could get used to this whole 'off the clock and on vacation' thing. Too bad it couldn't last forever.

"Oh yeah... I can't believe I forgot. I guess I'm still pretty used to waking up in the Spirit World, huh?" Korra shrugged. "At least some things haven't changed, though. I've gotten too used to this."

"Too used to what?" Asami asked.

"Just... us." Korra replied simply. "I've gotten too used to waking up and having you there next to me. To talking half-asleep and having you giggle like an idiot while I struggle to make some sense, looking like something the cat-owl dragged in while _you_ look like as on point as ever." And there went that giggle she was talking about. Korra's smile widened. She really was going to miss this. I mean, eventually, they'd both have to head back home, right? To Republic City? Separate lives, separate beds, working together whenever the opportunity arose... the usual. Though, the more Korra thought about it, the more she wondered where home actually was, now. She supposed that she could always go back to Air Temple Island like she always had so that she could stay within the city, but, she wasn't sure. If she was being totally honest, what she actually wanted was...

"...I haven't been this happy in a long time, and I can't even remember the last time I had a vacation. These last two months have been just perfect. Thank you." She finished, abandoning her prior train of thought for now. She could bring that up with Asami later. It was probably a better idea to wait until the two of them were fully awake, anyway.

"Yeah... I should be thanking you, too, though. We both needed some time off. It's just too bad it's almost over." Asami sighed, leaning back on her arms and glancing downward, visibly disappointed by the thought. "Though you know, I was actually thinking–" Before she could finish, however, the girls found their morning talk interrupted by a third voice, one which Korra found warmly familiar.

"Oh, you two are awake already. Good morning!" Korra's mother, Senna, called from the doorway. Right, Korra _was_ home, after all. She supposed she couldn't have as much time to herself and Asami as she did back in the Spirit World. Back to reality, she thought. "I was just about to get you two up for breakfast, come on." Walking away, Senna motioned for the two of them to follow, heading back into the family's small kitchen in order to finish cooking. As the scent of her favorite meal wafted into her room, Korra could feel her mouth begin to water. How long had it been since she'd had some food from home?

"Oh man, Asami, you're going to love this," Korra began excitedly, the mood in the room changing completely as the previous conversation was overtaken by the promise of a home-cooked meal. "I've been dying to get you to try some _real_ Southern Water Tribe cooking for a while now, this is going to be perfect." Well, Asami supposed she could try and broach the subject again later. She WAS feeling pretty hungry right about now, to be perfectly honest. Which, of course, her growling stomach always was.

"'_Real_ Southern Water Tribe cooking', huh? I'm looking forward to it." She smiled, pecking Korra on the cheek and following her out and into the dining area. Taking in the steamy aroma of a freshly cooked stew, Asami's mouth also began to water. It'd been a while since she and Korra had had a really decent meal. There was plenty of fruit and vegetables and the like in the Spirit World, which comprised most of what they ate while they were away, but she'd been craving something a little more meaty and expertly prepared for a while now. And what was more expertly prepared than a mother's food?

What appeared to be awaiting the two of them at the family's table was a stew, primarily comprised of what looked to be octopus with bits of other assorted local meats added into the mix which she couldn't immediately identify, likely including either whale or seal, with some seasonings and vegetables such as carrots added into the mix. Some of these things didn't look like typical Southern Water Tribe ingredients as far as Asami knew, which was probably part of the reason why Korra liked it so much, as that would indicate it wouldn't be something that was made very often for her. Though, with Korra's father's position as chief, she supposed that those things might be a little bit easier to come by, these days.

Nevertheless, the look in Korra's eye was like an armadillo lion upon seeing an injured fox antelope lying helpless in the field and separated from its herd, ready to pounce. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had this. "Good morning, mom." Hugging her mother hello as she finished stirring the stew, Korra then turned to her father, Tonraq, who was already sitting down at the table, and hugged him from behind. Taking a seat at the side of the table to his right, she motioned for Asami to take a seat directly next to her, staring longingly at the bowl in front of her. _It had been too long_.

"Oh, I hope you don't mind my octopus stew, Asami, it's Korra's favorite." Senna began as she made her way to the table with her own bowl, taking the seat directly next to her husband. "She hasn't been home in a while, so we wanted to treat her. I wasn't entirely sure if you'd like it or not, though..." She admitted, hoping that she wasn't coming off as too presumptuous. If she and Korra had arrived a bit earlier and weren't so exhausted when they did, she maybe could've had the chance to plan something out for the both of them, but instead, she was forced to take something of a gamble.

"It's fine, I've had Southern Octopus before, though never in a stew like this. I am a little curious to get a taste of what Korra grew up with, though." By this point, the aforementioned Avatar already had the bowl of stew practically in her face. _Too. Long._

"Heaven, I grew up with heaven." Korra praised while Asami shook her head. Well, after two months of spirit fruit, she couldn't blame her. Before reaching for her bowl, however, Asami just wanted to make sure that she thanked Korra's parents for their hospitality. Things could've just as easily gone an entirely different way.

"Thank you for the meal, and for letting me stay the night like that." Korra's mother simply smiled.

"Of course. Any friend of Korra's is welcome to stay as long as they'd like, girlfriends especially." That still sounded so surreal to Asami. 'Girlfriend'. She kept feeling like it was some sort of a dream. But it was real, and she couldn't be happier for it.

"So, when did you two get together, if you don't mind my asking?" Tonraq spoke up, finishing his breakfast first.

"Right after Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding, when we headed into the Spirit World for that vacation." Korra explained between slurps of tentacles. She wasn't really one for manners, was she? "We've always been great friends, but pretty much the whole time that I was back in the city after I left The Swamp was like a tipping point for us, I guess. That day especially. I think I first realized I loved her though when I was writing her a year or so back? So once I got back to Republic City it was basically just a matter of time before _something_ happened, for better or worse." An enthused slam punctuated Korra's explanation as she swiftly lowered the bowl from her face back to the table, letting loose a contented sigh. Tasted like _victory_. "Thankfully, it was for the better." She smiled.

"I see. So you two spent all that time alone _together_, huh?" Korra's father asked, his glance shifting briefly over to Asami, who momentarily froze and shifted her eyes back and forth as if to ask, 'Who, me?'. She wasn't entirely sure she liked that suspicious tone in Tonraq's voice. Either he was just messing with her, or things were about to get a _lot_ more awkward. _Please_ just let him be messing with her. "Well, I'm glad you made it back alright, both of you. It's nice to see you so happy again, Korra." _Oh thank God_.

"Thanks. I was kind of afraid you guys would flip out, I had no idea how you were going to react when I told you. I mean, it's not exactly... common... I guess?" Korra awkwardly replied, a stark contrast to the victorious exuberance over her bowl not even thirty seconds ago.

"What's not common about love? All that matters to us is that you're happy. Nothing else." Senna replied. It was almost as if a weight was lifted off of Korra's shoulders with those words. She really was worrying about nothing. Turning his gaze back to Asami now, who had since returned to eating her breakfast after her mini heart attack earlier, the Southern Chief then addressed her specifically, delivering his daughter's new lover a stern warning.

"Asami, I'm just going to tell you the same thing I told that Mako kid a few years back: make sure that you take care of my little girl. If you hurt her, _I'll know_."

"Dad!" Korra yelped. Yeah, because_ that_ wasn't embarrassing.

"Hey, don't look at me, I'm just doing my job." The chief shrugged, prompting Senna and Asami both to laugh while Korra simply huffed. Finishing the meal, Asami placed her bowl gently back onto the table, notably more mannerly than Korra. After all, she was a guest in somebody else's house. While Korra talked through her meal, Asami had remained completely silent, taking her time and soaking in the atmosphere of Korra's family home. Sitting there for a moment, watching the dynamic between Korra and her parents, she felt like she was a little kid again, sitting at her own family's table for breakfast. She'd never really realized how much she actually missed this until now, a tear involuntarily running down her face – something which immediately captured Korra's attention.

"...? Asami, is everything alright?" She asked, noting her girlfriend's relative silence since breakfast had started.

"Of course. It's more than alright, actually." She smiled genuinely, rubbing her eyes dry. "All of this just reminds me of how things used to be with my family when I was a kid, before my mom died. I never really thought I'd get the chance to be a part of something like this again." And she loved every second of it. Korra couldn't help but give her girlfriend a hug. She hadn't even thought about that before...

"Well, you'll always be welcome as a part of this family, I can promise you that." Tonraq confirmed. He glanced over at Korra briefly, as if intentionally trying to draw her attention. Was he hinting at something? ...Nah.

"Thank you." Asami wasn't really sure she could put just how thankful she was for that in words. Family, huh?

Rising from her seat to grab seconds, Korra changed gears yet again, shifting the topic of conversation from family matters to world matters. After all, she had to get back into the loop eventually, she couldn't just goof off forever. She'd probably been gone too long as it was, she was actually somewhat scared to ask. "So, dad, did I miss anything important while I was away? I didn't really mean to be gone as long as I was, but I, uh... kind of got carried away for a while there, sorry about that." She laughed nervously, sitting back down with her second serving of stew.

"Nonsense, if anybody deserves an extended vacation every now and then, it's the Avatar. You more than earned it." Tonraq affirmed. There was no need for Korra to beat herself up. After everything she'd been through and what she ultimately found at the end of it, she deserved all that time to herself. And besides... "That being said, things have actually been pretty calm since you and Asami left. Prince Wu's plan to dissolve the monarchy and the return of the Earth Kingdom to its people as a collection of independent states has gone off without a hitch so far, and Kuvira's trial has been progressing pretty smoothly since she was taken into custody. There've been some isolated pockets of resistance from some remaining supporters of hers here and there, but things have remained relatively under control so far as I know. They should actually be getting to sentencing pretty soon."

Kuvira... Korra had left almost immediately after the fight with her had been settled. She'd definitely done some terrible things, but Korra couldn't help but feel some level of sympathy toward her. As she'd explained to the Metalbender herself, the two of them weren't entirely unalike.

"I see... honestly, I hope they don't go too hard on her." Korra stated, prompting a raised eyebrow from the Southern Chief. "I mean, don't get me wrong. What she did was wrong, and she should definitely be punished for it, but I think she should be allowed to learn from her mistakes, too. I know that there's probably a lot of people calling for her head right now, but I don't think she's entirely beyond redemption."

"Huh. That's a very mature way to look at it." Tonraq replied. His daughter had really grown up a lot these past 4 years, but it was at times like these that it occurred to him that he was in the unique position of being able to speak to his child as both a father and as a fellow world leader. Though he supposed that as the Avatar, Korra's role went beyond even that. Tonraq's duty was to his people, but Korra's was to the whole world. Two worlds, even. Watching her grow more and more comfortably into that sort of a position made him more proud than he could ever put into words. "Given that the Water Tribes were never really all that affected by the whole Kuvira fiasco, I don't really have much to say on the matter. But if that's how you feel, then I think you should see if you can't take part in Kuvira's trial. I'm sure that the Avatar's opinion will be taken into account."

"Yeah. I think I might." Korra nodded. Well, she had to get back into the swing of things somehow. Why not pick up where she left off? This was something she felt like she had to do.

"If that's the case, then we should probably get going within the next day or two." Asami said. It'd still take some time for them to get back to Republic City, a good day or two at least. If Korra wanted to take part in Kuvira's trial, then it'd probably be a good idea if they left sometime later that night or tomorrow, whichever Korra was more comfortable with. "I should probably go check up on my company, anyway."

"That's right... doesn't Future Industries hold contracts with the United Republic for Republic City's infrastructure? I never even thought about that before, I wonder if anything's even been rebuilt since we left..." This was why Korra wasn't the one who ran one of the largest corporations in the world. Thankfully, Asami had already prepared for this in advance and had left somebody else in charge temporarily, so she wasn't really worried about that.

"Don't worry, I'm sure things are going just fine. I put one of my best men, Ravi, in charge before I left with you. It's one of the reasons why I was a little late that day, I had to make sure that he knew what was going on and that he was was up to the task of running the company while I was gone. If any requests were put in to begin rebuilding or planning the city's expansion while I was away, then he'd definitely have started working on them by now." She explained.

"Oh, alright, phew. Well, that's why you're the CEO and I'm the Avatar, I guess. I kind of just left a note for Tenzin, told my parents, and left." Korra shrugged. Asami laughed. When she put it like that, Korra almost made it sound like she didn't have anything to worry about. Asami knew better, of course, but still, she couldn't help but find her demeanor a little funny. "Anyway, I'd kind of like to head out tomorrow and spend the rest of the day here, if you're alright with that? It feels like it's been forever since I've been home, and I'd love to give you a proper tour if you're up for it."

"Sounds good to me." Asami replied. "Thank you again for the meal, it was delicious." She directed to her girlfriend's parents, receiving a smile in response. With that, she and Korra rose back to their feet, the Water Tribe girl stretching out her back and arms and giving her parents one more hug before she headed out while Asami took hers and Korra's bowls to the sink. No use in leaving a mess behind.

"Of course, dear. You two have fun." Senna replied, waving goodbye as the girls headed out the door.

As soon as Korra had stepped outside, however, she was greeted by the familiar crunch of paws in the snow as her pet polar bear dog, Naga, came barreling toward her, full steam ahead. "Naga!" Korra cried out with glee, arms wide open to embrace her pet and best friend as she excitedly knocked her master to the ground, licking her face as Korra happily scratched under her chin and rubbed her head. "Aw, I missed you too, girl." She laughed, rising back onto her feet. Before she left, she'd told her parents to take Naga back home with them, which was admittedly another reason why she wanted to head back through the Southern Portal. She missed her.

Hopping onto Naga's back and scratching her behind the ears, she motioned with her head for Asami to follow. It seemed they were going to be taking the polar bear dog express today, not that she – or Naga – really minded. Climbing up with a helping hand from Korra, Asami wrapped her arms around the blue-eyed girl's waist and kissed her on the cheek, resting her head on her shoulder and smiling as the two of them headed out into the village on Naga's back. Today was going to be a good day. 

* * *

><p>A young, dark-haired man walked through the bustling streets of Republic City, as alive as they ever were even despite their somewhat cluttered state of disrepair and reconstruction. It had been two months since Kuvira's imperial ambitions were put to an end and his friends left for a much needed vacation in the Spirit World, and two days since his little "vacation" had – thankfully – come to an end, and he couldn't be happier for it. As of today, Republic City's Ace Detective, Mako, was officially back on the beat!<p>

With Prince Wu technically no longer a Prince, the Earth Kingdom being steadily broken up into independent states much like Zaofu and the United Republic itself _and_ the steady rise in crime since Kuvira's Colossus leveled more than half the city, he was finally recalled from his position as Royal Bodyguard and set to resume his former occupation of police detective as of today. He couldn't wait. Now that the political games were finally done and over with, he could finally get back to what he loved doing: patrolling the streets, solving crimes and keeping the peace. He'd been waiting for this day for a long, _long_ time.

With the city still recovering from the events that'd transpired two months prior, there had been an increase in crimes of all kinds, which ultimately meant more work for the struggling police force. In order to try and keep up with this recent rise in crime, a lot of former detectives and members of the force had elected to temporarily come out of retirement and lend a hand, and many more were being hired from the populace and being taught the ins-and-outs of the force as quickly as possible, with many veterans – like Mako – being saddled with partners who functioned more like apprentices who would be learning on the job alongside their more experienced counterparts.

He couldn't say that he was exactly delighted to hear the news, but he understood the decision and was just glad to be back, regardless. And besides, how bad could it be? Maybe having a partner would be fun. It all depended on who he ultimately got saddled with and how much training they actually needed, and how well they gelled with Mako and his particular style. He'd never really considered himself much of a teacher, so he just hoped that whoever it was, they weren't _too_ wet behind the ears.

Rounding the last corner and stopping in front of the Republic City Police Station, Mako took a moment to just take it all in. Along with Future Industries Tower and the new City Hall, the station was one of the first buildings in the city to be relocated, rebuilt and then expanded on, with more and larger rooms being added on in anticipation of a larger city, larger police force and larger amount of crime than ever before, with well over a dozen new holding cells being built on the lower levels. The new building really was a sight to behold. It was actually even bigger than he thought it'd be, he kinda hoped he wouldn't get lost.

Walking up the steps and through the doorway, he was immediately greeted by yet another bustling crowd, this one comprised of Metalbending Officers and various other law enforcement officials. Phones were ringing off the hook and papers were shuffling from desk to desk, officers constantly entering and leaving the building, some with apprehended criminals in tow. He'd heard that a lot of Metalbenders from Zaofu had elected to join the force temporarily to fill in ranks for the elite Metalbending Division, in order to help keep the peace while the city was being rebuilt, but he had no idea there were actually _this_ many. Along with all of the new patrol officers and veterans from before his time at the force, he could hardly see any familiar faces out there. Talk about chaos.

"Home sweet home?" He asked nobody in particular, looking around for his desk, which he assumed would be unmanned – an assumption which didn't fit any of the almost 50 in this room alone. Maybe he was stationed somewhere else?

"Mako! There you are! Took you long enough to get here." Finally, a familiar voice. Immediately snapping back to attention, he turned to face the Chief of Police, Lin Beifong, a ready smile on his face.

"Ah, chief, I was just looking for you. I knew we'd gotten some new recruits, but I didn't expect things to be so... lively." _That_ was putting it lightly.

"Welcome to your new norm, detective. Your desk is on the second floor with all the others." 'All the others'? Apparently there were more detectives now than he thought. It seemed that detectives and higher ranking officers were now stationed on the second floor while everybody else was relegated to the first. He imagined Lin's own office was somewhere around there too, just like it was in the old station. "Your new partner is already up there waiting for you, just finished basic training and got accepted into the force the other day. Your first case is already on your desk, as well. I'm just gonna warn you now though, it's a weird one. But the fact of the matter is that we're still understaffed for everything that's going on right now and you're one of the best men I've got. It may not be what you're used to, but I trust you to get it done quick and get it done right." She explained.

"Of course, ma'am. I'll see to it that it's resolved as soon as possible." Mako replied in a dutiful tone, receiving a simple nod from Beifong in response, which he took as his cue to get going. Making his way to the elevator, as soon as the doors closed, he let out an exhausted sigh. Just standing in that room took a lot out of him, this was going to take some getting used to. And what was that about his partner just finishing basic training the other day? Wonderful. He just really hoped the second floor wasn't as crowded as the first. If it was, then he really had no idea how he was going to get any work done. Thankfully, however, as the elevator reached its destination and the doors slid open, he found that not to be the case.

Stepping out into a long hallway that stretched to the left and right of the elevator, he could already tell that things up here were much less hectic, even though he could hear sounds of construction coming from the outside and in each direction down the hall. Two months was still a pretty short amount of time to erect a new police station, after all, even for benders – there was still some work to be done. But, the important thing was that it was usable and that the two main offices were open to the public and the police, those being the main office just past the lobby – which Mako had seen below – and the room on the other side of the hall and directly across from the elevator, built so that it was past a wide open gap in the wall rather than hidden behind a closed door.

While a few phones were still ringing here as he stepped inside, in comparison to the floor below, things up here were _much_ quieter and _much_ less busy. Furthermore, while there were almost 50 desks down on the 1st floor from what he'd counted, up here, he could only see about half that, with maybe 12 on each side, and most of them were unoccupied, at least for now. As he'd suspected, Chief Beifong's office was in the back of this room, away from the hustle and bustle of the downstairs and behind a textured frosted glass door in the back. Now this, he could work with. And speaking of working with...

Spotting his nameplate on one of the desks closest to Lin's office and on the right side of the room from the perspective of the Chief, he saw a rather familiar face standing next to it, fiddling around with the drawers and occasionally looking up to scan the room, as if he were looking for somebody. Mako knew exactly who that was. The question became, why the hell was _he_ here?

"...Wait a second, Bolin? Seriously? YOU'RE my new partner?" He blurted in shock from across the room, Bolin's ears perking up at the sound of Mako's voice and his question eliciting an excited wave from the younger brother, who had almost immediately stood up in order to more properly greet his new superior. Mako had to admit, Bolin didn't look half bad in a uniform, but he was confused – this was the _last _place he'd expected his little brother to look for a job, let alone actually get one. Was the station really that understaffed, or was he underestimating his little bro's abilities? Somehow, he got the feeling the answer was probably somewhere in the middle.

"I know, isn't it great!? Now, I know what you're thinking: since when has Bolin been all about police work? Well let me tell you, Mako, my time in the army has changed me. I'm a new man! A better man! When I was working for Kuvira, I thought I was doing the right thing and that I was actually helping people. It turned out that I wasn't, but here, I can actually do some good for sure _and_ help Republic City get back on track in the process – and with my brother no less! It's gonna be GREAT!" Bolin shouted with excitement. Well, so much for that calmer atmosphere Mako was looking forward to.

"Well, this is certainly... unexpected." Mako said, scratching the back of his head. What else could he even say? Bolin had kept him entirely in the dark on this one. Mako guessed he probably meant to surprise him when he walked in for his first day back at the precinct, and he had to admit, he was certainly... surprised. But seriously? Bolin? A cop? This was either going to turn out extremely well or end in unprecedented disaster, there was no in-between. He just wasn't sure which one it was going to be yet.

"The best things in life often are the most unexpected." Bolin recited, nodding sagely. Mako simply rolled his eyes and sighed, walking towards his desk. "Anyway, Lin told me to just stay here and read over the report while I waited for you. Apparently, a strange body was found outside of a home in the Dragon Flats borough. The Chief wants you to go look into it." Bolin explained briefly, handing the file over to his brother. Mako's eyes narrowed. Seriously? This was NOT what he was expecting on his first day back at work.

"Really? This is the 'weird case' she was talking about? A body in the slums? That part of town isn't exactly the most stable right now, this isn't exactly out of the ordinary out there. What's she want me investigating _this_ for?" Well, somebody sure seemed a little aggravated. Bolin shrugged.

"Heck if I know, she just told me to tell you to read the report and then head down to the morgue. Oh, and to take me with you. Something about on-the-job training? I dunno, sounds like fun to me!" The young Earthbender exclaimed excitedly. 'Fun'? He certainly wasn't taking this very seriously, was he? Did he even understand what their first case was? But, Beifong was right – this wasn't exactly the type of case Mako was used to, but orders were orders, and detectives, while more numerous, were still in short supply. Seeing that look in Bolin's eyes, though, Mako was beginning to see how this new partnership was probably going to end up going.

"Yeah, 'fun'... whatever. Just give me the report." Mako sighed, taking the file from his brother's hands and giving it a quick once over. From what he could tell, it seemed like some pretty standard stuff. Sounds of a struggle the night before, illegal bending, body found outside the next... wait. What? Mako's eyes widened as he reread the remainder of the account twice more. Well. What do you know. That _was_ odd. "...Bolin, are you sure this is right...?" Bolin shrugged again.

"That's the file Lin gave to me, so I guess so? I dunno, I wasn't the one who wrote it. Why, what's wrong?" He asked. Mako's eyes narrowed. Maybe this was a weird one after all, he was going to have to see this for himself.

"...Come on, we're heading downstairs. Seems you and I are gonna be working homicide today." Closing the file, Mako immediately took off for the elevator while Bolin just stood there for a moment, registering the situation. Wait, homicide? As in murder? Somehow, even after reading over that report and relaying its contents in basic to Mako, it hadn't exactly clicked in his brain that _that _was what he was going to be investigating until just now. What a way to start his career as an officer of the law, huh? Realizing by now that his brother had gone on without him, he shook his head, snapping back to reality and stumbling over himself as he ran out the office in pursuit.

"Mako, hey, wait for me!" He called. 

* * *

><p>"Now <em>that<em> is how you end a vacation." Korra sighed, falling back into the snow, exhausted. She'd heard the expression 'Time flies when you're having fun' before, but it'd never applied to her quite like this before, today just flew right by. Maybe it was because she was heading back to Republic City tomorrow or because she'd spent the whole thing hanging out around town with Asami, but as the sun began to set over the water, she had to say, she was pretty sad to see it go. She didn't want this to end. "You're better at snowball fights than I thought." She mentioned with a laugh, glancing over at the dark-haired girl to her left who looked to be about as exhausted as Korra herself was, the both of them lying there disheveled but smiling.

Not even 60 seconds earlier, the two of them were engaged in the snowball fight to end all snowball fights, a teasing toss by Korra 15 minutes earlier inadvertently starting a war of wintry attrition she was amazed that she'd actually lost. How does a Waterbender _lose_ a snowball fight? Not that she was complaining, that was the most fun she'd had in ages, but still! It just didn't seem right.

"I know right? Who'd have thought I'd be able to beat the Avatar? What a pushover." Asami teased.

"Yeah, yeah, enjoy it while it lasts. Next time, you're going to be the one crying uncle." Korra warned playfully in response. Asami knew what she meant, but for a second there, she thought she meant something else entirely. Either way though, her response was the same:

"Oh, is that so? Well, we'll just have to see about that." _Pure confidence_.

As the two of them laughed, Naga raised her head from behind a snow mound a couple dozen feet behind them, checking to see if the coast was finally clear. Seeing the two girls lying calmly in the snow together, she got up and walked to be closer to the both of them, sitting down a couple of feet from Korra's right and staring out over the sea. Man, if polar bear dogs could sigh with relief. "Aw, I'm sorry Naga, did we hit you in the crossfire?" Korra asked, sensing her pet's mild frustration. "Ah, the cost of war is just too high, even a snowball war." She joked, causing Asami to simply shake her head. This girl...

As they laid there, panting and exhausted, whatever small bits of snow that were still on them melted, cooling them down as it mixed with their sweat and their breathing returned to normal. Reaching out her gloved left hand, Asami reciprocated the young Avatar's request, grabbing hold with her right and looking up at the sky as the sunlight gradually faded away and the recently returned Southern Lights took its place, dancing their way across the evening sky as orange gave way to a mixture of dark blue and green.

For a few minutes, the two of them just laid there, taking in the sights and each other's company, neither daring to say what was on their mind. Neither of them wanted any of this to stop, but both of them had duties to others beyond themselves and each other that they had to fulfill. Even still, the thought of not being able to spend so much time together, their nights together, was tearing both of them apart inside. They both thought they had the solution, though – it's just neither knew that the other was thinking the exact same thing. Eventually, one of them had to be the brave one and pop the question, and as it happened, today, that brave one was Korra.

"I don't want this to end." She finally spoke up, immediately catching Asami's attention. Where was she going with this? The engineer had a few ideas, but she had to be sure.

"What do you mean? You make it sound like we're never going to see each other again or we're breaking up or something." She replied. How would Korra react? Would she keep pushing forward, or retreat? If she kept going forward, how far would Korra be willing to go? Was she going to ask what she was thinking she was going to ask? A million possibilities flitting through her brain, Asami impatiently waited for Korra's response.

"No, no, of course not – trust me, I love you way too much to break up with you, that's not it at all." Korra affirmed, deciding to address that bit first and foremost. "And yeah, we _are_ going to see each other, it's just... I'm greedy. I want to see you _more_. These past couple of months have been the best of my life. I know they don't really make up for 3 years of lost time, but I don't want any of this to end, at all. I don't want to stop falling asleep with you and waking up with you and spending as much of my time as possible with you." She explained, keeping her eyes affixed to the sky as she spoke while Asami turned her head to look at her.

"So what are you saying?" Was it what Asami hoped she was saying?

"I guess... what I'm saying is..." Korra paused, taking a deep breath before turning her head so that she was looking at Asami, too. Part of her wondered if maybe this was a bit too soon, if maybe she was rushing things. But it felt right. As of this moment, she was sure. "...I want to live with you. And spend the rest of my life with you. As girlfriends... or fiancees... ...wives..." Korra bit her lip. Wow, this was awkward. Asami's focus grew more intense. Korra was so close. Then, sitting up to search her pockets for something, Asami raised an eyebrow, following suit in curiosity. What was she looking for? Whatever it was, she appeared to be so flustered, she couldn't remember which pocket she'd put it in. It had to be around here somewhere... aha! There it was, she'd found it. Taking a deep breath, Korra continued.

"...I made this about a week ago in the Spirit World, I just wasn't sure when I was going to give it to you until today. I was thinking of maybe holding off a little longer, like maybe this is too soon, but knowing that everything's going to be going back to normal and getting really hectic again, I thought maybe now would be the best time to get it out there after all."

"Korra, you're rambling." Asami teased again, the anticipation killing her. Was this really, _really_ what she thought it was?

"Right, sorry." She quickly apologized. She had to get back on track. "Anyway, I guess the easiest way to say this is just to explain it. In my tribe, it's a custom that when two people wish to become betrothed to one another that one carves a betrothal necklace that they can then give their partner, which acts as both an expression of their love and as a sign to others both in the tribe and around the world that they're promised to somebody. Normally, it's the guy who makes one and gives it to his bride-to-be, but we're both girls, so I figured since I'm the one with the Water Tribe background..." Korra looked away as she spoke, blushing harder than ever before and removing her hand from her pocket to hold out a carved, stone necklace which she had attached to a simple dark red band. When did she even make this...?

Looking it over carefully, the stone itself looked to have been carved into the shape of a gear, with a design etched into it that Korra had based loosely off of Raava. In her mind, it was a simple little mixture of symbols meant to represent the both of them together: Asami, the head of Future Industries and a technological genius, paving the way for a better future, and Korra, the Avatar and host to Raava, the spirit of peace and light, fighting to keep peace and balance for all mankind. Put the two of them together and what you end up with is a symbol of progress toward a better, brighter future, which was exactly how Korra felt about Asami. She was that better, brighter future she was striving towards, and she wanted her all for herself, forever.

Asami was silent, simply taking the necklace into her hands and just holding it for a moment. This was really happening, wasn't it? This is exactly what she was hoping for, but now that it was actually happening, she had no idea what to say. So instead, she just sat there for a moment, trying to wrap her head around everything. A betrothal necklace. Korra was giving her a _betrothal necklace_. This was huge. Beyond huge. This whole damn thing was a dream come true. She felt like her hands were shaking, but she was actually remarkably composed. Composed enough that it was actually setting Korra a little on edge. She didn't just make a mistake, did she? Was it too soon after all? Did she not like the necklace?

"...I know it probably doesn't look that great, I'm not really one for carving or design or anything like that, but..." Korra rubbed the back of her neck, nervous. Well. She'd come this far. She might as well just say it at this point. "...I guess what I'm asking you is... Asami, will you be m–" But once again, hearkening back to when they first kissed, before she could finish and say what it was she had to say, Korra found herself in the middle of a deep, passionate kiss unlike any she'd shared previously, Asami tenderly pressing her lips to Korra's as if to preemptively answer her question. She had a tendency to do that, Korra had noticed – she did this a lot when they first got together, too. It was just one more little thing she'd fallen in love with.

"You talk too much." Asami teased once she'd finally broken away, tenderly holding Korra's chin in her gloved hand. "But the answer is yes, Korra. I will be your fiancee. I will marry you." She smiled. "It doesn't have to be right now. In fact, given everything we've both got to deal with pretty soon, it'd probably be a good idea if we held off jumping head-first into it, at least for a little while. But that's what the necklace is about, right? It's a promise. So when the right time comes..." It was like any time Asami spoke to her, a weight was lifted off of Korra's shoulders. She always seemed to know exactly what she was thinking and exactly how to react to it. Korra almost felt like crying, but stubbornly kept her composure, refusing to let her happiness overwhelm her. Not this time, tear ducts.

"I was thinking the same thing. Things are going to be pretty crazy the next couple of months... couple of years, even. Republic City is expanding, your company is growing, and who knows what's going to happen with that Earth Kingdom business... but whatever happens, I want it to happen with you and me, and I want to promise myself to you, and you to promise yourself to me, and when it's over and things are stable again, if we still love each other, then I want to make you mine, forever." Korra stumbled to explain, trying to convey what it was she was thinking, though she didn't feel like she was doing a very good job at it. Still, Asami seemed to understand exactly what she meant.

"Well, you know what they say. "All good things come to those that wait", right?" Asami responded, prompting Korra to blush even harder. If that girl got any redder, she'd make an apple jealous. "But yeah, I get what you're saying, I feel the same way. I love you, Korra."

"I love you too, Asami." Kissing each other once more, while shorter in duration, the feeling behind it was no less than it was before. This. This was heaven. "...So what do you think?" Korra asked after the two of them had parted, realizing Asami had never actually told her whether or not she liked the necklace, or just the idea of what it represented.

"I think it looks incredible, I love it. Thank you." She finally replied, reaching up behind her neck to put it on. Korra breathed an audible sigh of relief. Thank goodness. Finishing putting it on, Asami looked back to Korra, curious to get her opinion now that she was wearing it. "So, how do I look?" She asked. Korra thought about it for a moment, smiling. For once, she felt like she knew _exactly_ what to say.

"Snazzy." 

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back in Republic City, Mako and Bolin had made their way down to the basement level of the new police building, following the precinct medical examiner down the hall and into the room where the body they would be investigating was located. This wasn't typically Mako's area of expertise – he was usually better with handling routine incident reports, solving B&amp;E and terrorist attacks, or gang-related incidents, or occasionally re-investigating cases at the request of the Chief to see if he could pick up anything that others had missed. But, given the unusual state of the body laid out in the report and the strange circumstances surrounding it, combined with the general lack of answers, this one seemed to be right up his alley, after all.<p>

As the three of them walked the halls, Mako continued to read over the report that Lin had left for him while Bolin looked around the underground morgue, half-mystified, half-creeped out, the medical examiner himself continuing to talk all the while. A bit of a wordy fellow, this one – wordy enough that Bolin had almost completely tuned out of what was going on.

"...but sadly, I never did see Gou again, after that. Oh, the things I would have done differently. ...Ah, here we are! Exam room number 5! It would seem we have arrived at last, my good fellows!" The doctor finally announced, drawing Mako's attention back into the real world while Bolin walked around the room, looking at all the tools on the table across from the examination one the body bag was on.

"Sorry for making you track me down like that, things have been quite hectic lately, but I did enjoy our little chat on the way back down here! It's not often a man like me gets to reminisce these days, you know? Anyway, I must say, detectives, in all my 15 years here with the precinct, I have _never_ seen a corpse quite like this one. Let me just warn you now: you may find its appearance to be quite... disturbing." He warned. Closing the file again and holding it to his side, Mako returned to full attention, curious to see if everything the report had described was actually true or not.

"Detective," Mako corrected. "And don't worry, Dr. Lou. I think I can stomach it." He concluded, nudging Bolin back to attention with his elbow. Seemed he'd more-or-less tuned out of the conversation while the doctor was rambling on about his life's story. Mako couldn't say he could blame his little brother, but he could at least _pretend_ to be a bit more professional. How in the hell did Kuvira of all people put up with him?

"Oh, right, sorry. Uh, yeah, what Mako said." Bolin nodded. Mako sighed. Why was Bolin here, again? Well, whatever, there was no use arguing over it now. Besides, it was still Bolin's first day. I mean, he had to shape up eventually, right? Lin wouldn't have let him on the force and partnered the two of them if she didn't think he was capable, regardless of how much they needed more people, right? ...Right?

"Very well then, as you wish..." The aforementioned Dr. Lou replied. Unzipping the body bag, what greeted the brothers looked less like a fresh corpse and more like an ancient mummy, its flesh dry and shriveled and its eyes completely missing from its sockets, looking as though all of its blood and bodily fluids had been drained away – which as it happened, was exactly what was described in the report. It was almost as though the body had been meticulously mummified and prepared, but according to the incident report included in the file, a suspect wearing clothes matching the description of the victim's was seen lurking around that area shortly before the report of illegal bending that was filed by the owner of the house outside of whom the body was found.

Furthermore, after the supposed bending had stopped, nobody else was seen to have entered or exited the area by local witnesses between the time of the incident and the discovery of the body at about sunrise, which indicated that it had been there all night and belonged to either the person involved in the bending report or whoever it was that the bending was being directed at. If that was the case, what the hell kind of bending could have done this? It was unlike anything Mako had ever seen before, let alone heard of. Could a bender really be responsible for something like this?

Of course, it was also always possible that the body was prepared elsewhere and then simply placed there later on by somebody else without anybody noticing. All of this did take place rather late at night, after all. But then that raised the question of why? Why would somebody do this to a body and then just leave it out in the middle of the street? Had it been dug up from somewhere and left there for some unknown reason? What did any of that have to do with the report of bending and sounds of a struggle? Was it some sort of new scare tactic by the Triads, maybe? Who would they be scaring, and why?

No matter how Mako looked at it, nothing about the body made much sense. He was beginning to see more and more why Chief Beifong wanted this taken care of quickly. Once word got out, people would get curious and start looking for answers. If the police couldn't give them, then that would work against them in the future, the last thing they needed was bad publicity right now. And if another body showed up... well, the last thing anybody needed was a spree of mummified corpses popping up in Republic City. Panic was to be avoided at all costs.

"...Oh. Oh spirits. That is... wow, that is just _horrible_. It looks like a raisin, only... people shaped... oh..." Bolin sputtered out, clearly taken aback by the body in the bag, looking away. "Wow, that is just... wow." What more was there to be said? That just about covered everything.

"Well he told us it was going to be disturbing, Bolin. Besides, the file clearly stated that it was mummy-like in appearance, you should've been prepared for this. Did you even read the report?" Mako asked, reading the look on his brother's face, mixed in appearance with equal parts shock and horror. That was not the face of somebody who read the report, that was the face of somebody expecting a regular, everyday body as carved up by the Triads only to find themselves walking into an ancient Earth Kingdom tomb instead.

"...I skimmed it." Bolin replied. Mako facepalmed.

"Whatever, I don't have time for this right now. Next time, have a better idea of what you're getting yourself into." He scolded, turning his attention back to the medical examiner. "Do you have any idea how old the body is? It may have shown up today, but it hardly looks new."

"Yes, it's actually quite fresh, despite all appearances to the contrary. I thought maybe it had been dug up or something, but it shows no advanced signs of decay, even despite its rather... degraded appearance. It was a perfect mummification, and it appears recent, the flesh still hasn't completely dried up yet. It was as though something came up and just drained the life right out of him, the poor soul." Dr. Lou explained, shaking his head.

"I see... do you have any idea what could have caused this, then?" Again, the examiner just shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. Maybe a Waterbender would be capable of something like this, if they were feeling especially vicious, but this seems more in line with what a Bloodbender might be capable of to me, and we're at least a week away from our next full moon. But even then, I would expect some sort of a trace to be left behind, but here, there's nothing. It's really quite perplexing, I've never seen anything quite like it before in my life." Mako sighed. Well, it certainly was 'weird'. Though looking at it now first-hand, 'horrifying' seemed the more apt description. Giving the doctor the go ahead to zip it back up and place the body back in storage, Bolin quickly interrupted, thinking he'd noticed something on the body neither of them had mentioned.

"Wait!" He cried out, grabbing the doctor's arm to stop him.

"What is it now, Bolin?" Mako asked, clearly annoyed.

"What is that? On its face." The Earthbender asked, pointing. Mako and Dr. Lou were confused. On its face...? The young detective tilted his head, leaning in to take a closer look, but he couldn't see anything. He let out an annoyed sigh.

"...What are you talking about? There's nothing there." The Firebender retorted. The doctor, however, was intrigued by the new officer's assertion, deciding to take a closer look, himself. While Mako may not have seen it, however, the professional most certainly did. It was slight... he was shocked Bolin had noticed it when he'd completely missed it before, himself. But it was indeed there.

"...How did I miss this before? You have good eyes, my boy. There appears to be some minor discoloration around the facial area, though I can't quite make out what it is or what could have caused it, the skin is far too shriveled up. It's very, very faint, but it is there." The M.E. rubbed his chin, thinking to himself for a moment. Evidence of a bender, perhaps? He could always try and rehydrate the area, see if he couldn't get a better look. Perhaps the killer wasn't as traceless as the doctor had first believed. "I believe I may be able to get a better look if I can somehow rehydrate the skin... I'll see what I can do and perform a second examination, and I'll be sure to look for more signs of discoloration. I'll phone you with my findings later on this evening, Detective." Lou finished.

Wait, what? Mako leaned in for an even closer look, trying to see if _he_ could see any discoloration, now that he knew what he was looking for. But no, everything looked... ...oh. Well, what do you know.

"...Huh. Wow. Good job, Bolin, I never even noticed that." Mako congratulated, genuinely surprised that he'd missed something. Bolin, meanwhile, just grinned. He couldn't believe he'd spotted something Mako hadn't, especially considering _he_ was the one most visibly icked out by the whole thing. Maybe Mako was just too stoic for his own good and somewhere beneath that icy cold Firebender veneer of his, there was a terrified, screaming child wanting nothing more than to look away. Or, maybe he just genuinely missed something. Either way.

"See? I can notice things too, sometimes. I may not be as stonefaced as you, but I know what I'm doing." Kind of. But Bolin was right – he wasn't completely hopeless, despite what Mako had seemed to believe about him. Maybe he was being a bit too harsh on his brother. Clearly, Bolin hadn't really anticipated the full extent of what a cop's job would entail, but Lin must've seen something in him, otherwise she never would've let him on the force. Bolin was the kind of guy to act first and think later, usually for the sake of others. That could be a blessing or a curse for a cop. Perhaps it was a good balance to Mako's ever-thinking nature, after all. Time would have to tell.

"Maybe. Well, I don't think we're going to find anything else out here right now. Thank you for your time, Dr. Lou. Let's go, Bolin." Mako said, loosely motioning for Bolin to follow as he jotted down another note into the file and turned to leave the room. The doctor simply nodded in response, turning back to the body to look at the discoloration once more. How DID he miss that...?

"Mako, wait up! Now where are we going?" Bolin asked, yet again having to pursue his brother down a hallway, albeit not as far this time. That guy really had to stop walking off so far ahead of people.

"Back to the crime scene to investigate. Seems you and I have got a bona fide mystery on our hands." Mako replied, stopping in front of the elevator, finishing this round of notes and closing the file in his hands again, placing his pen back into his shirt pocket.

"Yeah... mystery... great..." Bolin trailed. What had he gotten himself into?

"...? Is something wrong?" Mako asked.

"I dunno, I just didn't think this is how my first day of being a cop would go. I thought I was going to be out on the streets, chasing down criminals, stopping heists and protecting the peace! You know, like a real-life mover! Not holed up in a basement staring at creepy mummies." Bolin complained, his older brother simply shaking his head. As he'd thought, Bolin hadn't really thought this whole thing through.

"That's part of being a cop, too, Bolin. Sometimes, bad guys kill people, and we have to figure out who did it and why. And sometimes, they do it in some really nasty ways. I'm not really used to this kind of case, myself, I've never really worked a homicide before, but these things do happen and sometimes you get wrapped up in them whether you want to be or not. Besides, nothing about this seems right to me. We may be dealing with more than just a simple murder, here. Consider this a chance to keep the peace by tracking down whoever did this before they do it again, killers like this usually strike more than once." You know, Mako could be kind of reassuring when he wanted to be. His brother was right – Bolin just had to suck it up. He signed up for this. There was no backing out of it now.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Just gonna have to suck it up and deal with it." He replied.

"Exactly. Lin put us both on this case for a reason, I'm sure she has faith in both of our abilities." ...That look on Bolin's face said otherwise.

"...Yeah, right, about that..." The younger brother nervously trailed, rubbing the back of his head. "Actually, Lin was initially against me joining the police force. She didn't think I had what it took and basically laughed me out of her office when I first applied. Raiko was the one who put in a good word for me and got her to give me a chance. I guess that, combined with that time I helped her and Opal free Su and everyone from Kuvira..." Oh god damn it.

"Waitwaitwaitwaitwait – Raiko? What does he have to do with any of this?" Raiko was also the reason Mako got stuck with Prince Wu for almost 3 years. That guy was really starting to piss him off.

"Remember that time Varrick tried to kidnap him and you tried to warn everyone but you were in jail because Varrick had set you up and nobody believed you? Apparently, he remembered that and told Lin to give me a chance." So THAT was it. That actually made some sense, Mako knew Lin wouldn't have given Bolin a chance without some sort of contributing outside factor. He thought maybe she'd seen something in him. But maybe she did? The answer was likely somewhere closer to the middle. "But I passed basic training, so hey! Like you said, this is my chance, and I'm gonna take it! No more Bolin: The Goofball – from now on, there is only Bolin: The Cop!" Well, Mako had to admit, his heart was in the right place at least.

"Yeah, a really goofy cop." The older brother teased with a smirk, finally pressing the 'up' button on the elevator, the doors opening to let them in.

* * *

><p>The next morning, back in the South Pole, Korra and Asami were dressed and ready to go. The Future Industries CEO had radioed for one of her ships to come pick her up last night and the two of them had broken the news of their betrothal to Korra's parents as soon as they returned home. That necklace made it kind of clear, anyway. Her father's knowing smile from earlier that day made more sense to her now, though she was still somewhat curious as to how he knew what her intentions were. Fatherly intuition wasn't THAT powerful, was it? But, that was ultimately unimportant – what WAS important was that the two of them had received their blessing. It was a little bit non-traditional, but hey, she was the Avatar. If anybody could take a couple of liberties with tradition, it was her. The world was changing, slowly but surely.<p>

Packing the last of her bags and hugging her parents goodbye, Korra saddled up on Naga, pulling Asami up after her, and waved goodbye, making her way down to the harbor. Republic City... it'd only been two months, but it felt like a lifetime. She wondered how much had changed since she and Asami had left. She was both excited and a little scared to see what the city had in store for her now, but more excited than anything else. Things were going back to normal, and at the same time, they were different than they'd ever been before. But like a lot of things in her life lately, it felt right.

"As soon as we get back to the city, I'm going to go to Air Temple Island and collect my things from my old room," Korra began. After solidifying their betrothal, the two of them quickly decided that Korra would be moving in to the Sato Estate, with Asami. It was a big place, and it got kind of lonely sometimes, even with all her servants. This would certainly help. "While I do that, you can go back to your company and we can meet up again later to go see Mako and Bolin."

"Sounds like a plan," Asami agreed. Seemed Korra had thought this through. "I'll meet you on the island, so don't feel like you have to come looking for me. I'm sure you and Tenzin will have a lot to talk about anyway. You're probably the first Avatar in a long time to spend so much time at once in the Spirit World." That was a good point. All of the Airbender kids would probably be itching to know how Korra's vacation was, too. All things considered, she might actually end up spending more time there than Asami at Future Industries.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Korra agreed right back. "I can't wait. It feels like it's been forever, doesn't it? Republic City." She thought aloud.

"Yeah... it's gonna be great to be back home, I just know it." Asami replied.

As they reached the harbor, Asami again rested her head on Korra's shoulder, coming up to the business woman's ship and receiving the go-ahead to come aboard from the crew. Taking one more look back at her hometown as the ship disembarked, she couldn't help but feel like she was 18 again, heading out on her own to Republic City for the very first time as a stowaway. Come to think of it, she was on one of Asami's ships then, too – or at least, one of her company's ships.

She could feel it, deep down in her soul.

This was going to be one hell of an adventure.


	2. Reconstruction

**Chapter Two**

**Reconstruction**

"_That's right folks, you heard it here first! The world famous mover star, Ryuuki Ayatsurishi, is coming to Republic City to premiere his new film! A dramatic tale of murder, mystery and romance, "The Dancing Dragons" promises to change the burgeoning mover industry forever! And, as if that weren't exciting enough, we here at The Republic City Chronicler have managed to score an exclusive radio interview with the man of many roles himself! Ryuuki – is it okay if I call you Ryuuki? – Ryuuki, tell us, what is it like to be back in Republic City for the first time since Kuvira's devastating attack?"_

"_Well, she might not be the metropolis she was 2 months ago, but there's still nowhere I'd rather be than Republic City, Chun. After all, it was in Republic City 2 years ago that my life was changed forever when I, an immigrant fresh off the boat from the Fire Nation with nothing to my name but the clothes on my back and a determined smile, was offered the chance to star in a new form of entertainment, pioneered by the world-famous billionaire industrialist and inventor, Sir Varrick of the Southern Water Tribe. I owe my entire career and current way of living to this city and its people, and it is for that reason that I've decided not only to premiere my new film here free of charge to whoever may want to see it, but to also donate a large sum of my own hard-earned mover money to help out with the reconstruction of the residential areas most badly affected by Kuvira's attack. It's not much, but it's the least I can do to help out the city that once helped me."_

"_Incredible! Truly, you are a generous man, Ryuuki – Republic City thanks you from the bottom of her heart! Now, I've come to learn that your new mover actually takes its name from a lesser-known traditional Firebending form? It's no secret that you yourself are quite the talented Firebender... tell us, have you ever practiced this ancient form yourself? And how does its title relate to your new mover?"_

"_Haha, no, I'm afraid it's not one of the forms I ever got to practice – though I'm definitely gonna give it a go if I can get the chance, now. As for how it relates to the mover, "The Dancing Dragons" tells the story of a torrid love affair between two Firebending–"_

*CLICK!*

"Mako, hey! I was listening to that! It was just getting to the good part, too! Movers have come such a long way since the days of Nuktuk... *sniff*" Bolin complained. He had to admit, he missed the mover life, sometimes, but after the fall of the Earth Queen and all those years working under Kuvira, it just didn't feel right to spend his life doing something so frivolous anymore when he had the power to do something so much... _more_.

With as much as the allure of fame and fortune may have beckoned him, it was when he was helping others that he felt the happiest. Thus, his decision to join the police, just like his big bro. Still, none of that meant he wasn't still a huge mover junkie and didn't keep up on the industry and all of its big new stars and titles! And Bolin had to admit, that Ryuuki guy was really something else. It seemed that Varrick was right about what movers could end up being after all, and it was people like Ryuuki who were proving it.

"Yeah, well, you can read about it in the paper and relive your glory days later. We're here." Mako replied, opening the door to the Satomobile and stepping outside. Bolin huffed in response, but begrudgingly followed suit. His older brother never did quite understand the mover appeal, something which Bolin could never quite figure out. I mean, how could somebody not like movers? They were awesome! It was like reading a story, but you didn't have to actually read or use your imagination or anything boring like that and it was happening right in front of you. It was a bit like the theater, come to think of it, but more accessible and with higher production values.

But then again, Mako still didn't like Varrick all that much, either, so maybe that had something to do with it, and he was just bitter that the guy who framed him, threw him in prison and nearly ruined his life was the same guy who invented them. In fact, come to think of it, maybe that wasn't such a bad reason to hate them after all? Oh, what did he know, Bolin was never really the type to carry grudges, the whole concept of those things kind of went over his head.

"They're not my 'glory days' Mako. I'm not some washed up has-been, I could easily get back into the business any time I wanted! I've just been busy." The former mover star defended, his voice lowering slightly when he mentioned how he'd 'just been busy'. Mako shook his head. If that's what helped him sleep at night.

"Whatever you say, Bolin." Looking around the area in which the crime had taken place, Mako could feel his heart sink. He tried not to come to the more run-down parts of the city all that often unless he absolutely had to, and when he did, he tried not to take it all in, it was a depressing sight to behold. Dragon Flats was never considered a particularly safe or affluent area, but ever since Kuvira's attack had decimated Downtown and left numerous residential areas of the city in varying states of disrepair and poverty, it'd become at least a dozen times worse, especially considering its relatively close proximity to the old Downtown and its new Spirit Portal. It was messy, crime-ridden, struggling. There wasn't a single house without some sort of significant damage done to it, no shop without some boarded up windows and a broken facade, not a single family that wasn't struggling to get by.

There were areas of the city that were largely unaffected, sure – plenty of them. But even then, there was also only so much space to go around, and more people displaced by singular blasts of that accursed Spirit Weapon than the city could currently accommodate, and expansion, while progressing quicker than anybody ever could've imagined, was still going to take some time. Of the city's more than 15 remaining residential districts, at least half of them were somehow affected by Kuvira's attack, so for the areas that were most badly affected and still undergoing reconstruction, the residents had little choice but to make due with whatever it was they may have had, or simply leave the city, an option not available to those in areas that were never that well-off to begin with, much like Dragon Flats.

And while some people _had_ opted to take their chances, leaving the city altogether and taking up temporary residence in neighboring towns and villages, not very many people wanted to travel any significant distance from the place that they still called home, let alone permanently move their families somewhere else in the Earth Kingdom – especially considering the fact that Earth Kingdom was technically not a thing that existed anymore. Things were far more stable and transitioning far more smoothly than just about anybody had anticipated, but there was always that lingering unease about the whole ordeal. Change was never easy, especially on such a grand, national scale.

So, a lot of people had returned to their homes, instead, damaged or not. They boarded up their battered roofs and broken walls, replaced their shattered windows, and made do with what they had, keeping a low profile and waiting for things to stabilize and normalize again as the city gradually rebuilt its damaged residential districts and expanded its new ones. But, it was no secret that the government was putting more effort into expansion than reconstruction, especially when it came to the more lower-class neighborhoods, leaving places like this to fend for themselves in a state of limbo. Not quite inhospitable, but not exactly habitable, either – receiving power, but only just. Mako may not have been a big fan of movers, but if what that Ryuuki guy said was true, and he was donating some of his money specifically to help out the more damaged areas of town like this one, then he supposed they couldn't all be bad – at least, the people who made them.

Hell, even Varrick was throwing some money their way, though he was yet another party more interested in expansion and evolution than the restoration and preservation of the old. Places like this almost seemed to be an afterthought to him. Though, just about everything seemed to be an afterthought to that guy, from Mako's perspective. Maybe, once Asami came back, he could try and convince her to let Varrick's company handle the bulk of the city expansion plan for a little while, so Future Industries could crack down on repairing what was still standing out here. He still remembered what it was like living on the streets, having to fend for himself and his brother from the Triads and making _just_ enough money to survive, and anybody who still lived around here wasn't too far removed from that sort of a lifestyle. He genuinely felt for them. He knew what this was like. That's what made it so hard for him to be here.

"...Yo, Mako, are you okay?" Bolin asked, noticing that his brother had fallen silent. He'd basically just been standing there quietly for the last 30 seconds or so. Obviously _something_ was on his mind, Bolin just wasn't sure if it was about the case, or something else.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry. I'm fine, I was just thinking about how terrible all this is. This used to be such a beautiful city, but now... Kuvira's going to pay for what she's done. Not just to this city, but every city." Bolin fell uncharacteristically silent. He didn't realize Mako was taking this all so hard. The Firebender subconsciously clutched his left arm, an act which immediately caught Bolin's attention.

"Your scar again?" He asked, clearly concerned for his older brother's well being.

"It's nothing, we should be focusing on the case. The body was found somewhere on this block, outside of the... Che family residence." The young detective deflected, flipping briefly through his notes to confirm. Begrudgingly, Bolin followed along with Mako's shift in the topic, though a concerned look still painted his face as his brother turned and walked on ahead of him. He was following closely behind him this time, though, he wasn't going to be left behind a third time in one day. That'd be a little ridiculous, even for him.

Taking a look around as they walked, Bolin, too, took in the sad state of the city that he called home. Places close to the old Downtown like this one were some of the worst-off and most overcrowded, both by humans, and by spirits. Though, curiously, Bolin couldn't see _any_ spirits out in the streets today – just a lot of very worn and wary people, eying them as they walked around in their police uniforms. The lack of spirits certainly struck him as odd, but the uncomfortable feeling he was getting from the people's staring was quickly overpowering any theories he may have had as to why they'd all leave the area, never mind his concern for his big bro, which was overpowering even that uncomfortableness. Returning his focus back to Mako, Bolin spoke up.

"You know, if your scar's still bothering you, you should have Korra take a look at it when she gets back from her vacation. Remember that time I hurt my shoulder, back when we were still part of the whole Pro Bending scene? She's actually a pretty good healer. If it's still hurting you, then I'm sure she could–"

"This should be the place." Mako interrupted. Wow. For a Firebender, Mako could sure be pretty cold, sometimes. Then again, Bolin _had_ just kind of hit on two of the three things that most bothered his brother to talk about these days: his scar – which he normally kept concealed by wearing long sleeves and gloves whenever he was out and about now – and Korra. The third one was Asami. Bolin figured it probably had something to do with the fact that he'd dated both of them in the past, but Mako seemed to be awfully annoyed that the two of them ran off on some impromptu vacation without telling or inviting either of them.

Personally, Bolin didn't mind. He figured they could use some time off and to themselves. But as days turned to weeks and weeks stretched into months, Mako seemed to get just a little bit more frustrated any time that they got brought up in conversation. A fact he stubbornly denied, of course. It was such a shame, too – up until he'd heard she'd left without a word, Mako seemed to be on some pretty good terms with Korra, again. It really hurt Bolin's heart to see cracks appearing in Team Avatar again, but unfortunately, until Korra returned, he didn't think there was much he could really do to fix it.

As the two of them arrived at their destination, Mako's knocking on the pop-marked wooden door of the Che residence brought an end to Bolin's train of thought, snapping him back to attention. He'd have to worry about his brother later, which was precisely the point of Mako's insistence on working. Well, that and the fact that both of them actually were at work right now. But hey, you can't blame a guy for being worried about his brother, right? All of that would have to wait though, Mako's words about acting a little more professionally echoing in his mind. Shaking off his concern for the time being, he straightened his standing position and kept his hands at his sides, standing at attention behind and to the right of his older brother.

"Who's there? What do you want? Whatever it is, we ain't got any!" Replied the voice from behind the door.

"Mr. Che? I'm Detective Mako, from the Republic City Police Department. I'm here to follow up on the events from last night. I was wondering if I could ask you some more questions?"

"No, I told the detectives that were here earlier everything I know already. Now go away!" Mr. Che shouted back. Well, _somebody_ didn't want to be disturbed.

"Sir, please, it'll only take a couple of minutes. I was hoping you could clarify some–" However, much like he had interrupted Bolin moments before, the man behind the door interrupted Mako in return.

"I said no! Now please, go away! The last thing my family needs right now is to be seen associating with cops!" Mako sighed. He was probably assuming the body had something to do with the Triads. Mako couldn't blame him. Since Kuvira's attack, they'd been stronger and more menacing than ever, taking full advantage of the chaos and struggling populace to gain new recruits and tighten their hold on the city while they still could. It was taking everything the city had to fight back against them and it _still_ didn't feel like enough a lot of the time. To be perfectly honest, it was pretty dangerous for the two of them to be out here at all. According to their most recent intel, the Triple Threats had been especially active in this area as of late, effectively taking it as a part of their territory.

"Well, looks like we're on our own with this one..." Mako complained, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Today just did _not_ want to go his way, did it? Bolin frowned. People were really scared, weren't they? Clearly, approaching this like a cop wasn't working, so instead, Bolin decided he would try something a little different...

"Here, let me give it a shot." The younger brother spoke up, cracking his knuckles. _His time had come_. Before Mako could register his words and stop him, however, he'd already gone and knocked on the door. Great. Now the witness was going to be uncooperative _and_ angry. Juuuust perfect.

"Now what!? I told you guys to go away!" The man behind the door shouted out again, clearly more than a little frustrated.

"Sir? Hi, I'm Bolin, I'm new. See, this is actually my first case with the force, and my partner and I could _really_ use your help in solving it. I'm sure you saw the body earlier today, right? Man, that thing was creepy, wasn't it? I felt like I was gonna be sick just looking at that thing. Anyway, I dunno about you, but I wanna find whoever it is that can do _that_ and get them off the streets as quickly as possible, but in order to do that, I'm really gonna need your help. Right now, you're the best lead we've got." Really? _That_ was Bolin's plan? So much for 'acting more professionally', now he was just talking to him like he was a child. Mako sighed, bracing himself for the impending screaming.

"...Wait, did you say your name was Bolin? Now why does that sound so familiar... hmm..." Or... not?

"You might know me better as Nuktuk: Hero of the South? I also used to be a Pro Bender for a while there – the one and only Earthbender of the spectacular Fire Ferrets! Well, unless you count the Avatar. Technically she was a Waterbender, but being the Avatar she could bend all four elements so she was technically an Earthbender, too, so I guess wasn't the ONLY Earthbender of the Fire Ferrets, but–"

"Wait, did you say Nuktuk?" Mr. Che asked.

"...Oh you have GOT to be kidding me." Mako facepalmed. Much to his chagrin, the door finally opened, and standing behind it was a man who appeared to be in his mid-to-late 40's with his family standing behind him – a wife, a daughter of about 14, and a single pet cat owl. The look on the man and his daughter's face said it all. "This is unbelievable." The Firebender muttered, shaking his head.

"IT _IS_ YOU!" Mr. Che cried out, his daughter's eyes coming alive as she ran out to hug Bolin while his wife simply stared in wonder from within the dilapidated home. As Bolin hugged his young fan back, her father immediately became more hospitable. "Why didn't you say so? My daughter and I are huge fans of your movers! Nuktuk: Hero of the South, defender of all that is right and sworn enemy of the evil Unalaq! Man, whatever happened to you? When did you go and get yourself involved in police work?" How long had it been since he'd met a legitimate fan? The sparkle in Bolin's eye was unmistakable. Maybe today wasn't so bad, after all, at least for him.

"Well, after the civil war between the Water Tribes ended, I decided to take a break from the movers for a bit and help the Avatar recruit some Airbenders for the new Air Nation! A lot of really crazy stuff happened around that time, like when I found my Grandma in Ba Sing Se, or when I discovered that I could Lavabend, but long story short, I decided I wanted to try and use my bending to become a real-life Nuktuk and help and protect people! My first attempt didn't really go so well and I kind of got swindled and then hunted down by Kuvira for a while, but after I escaped her evil clutches and helped take down her Colossus, I decided that the best thing for me to do would be to join the police force and help protect the city while it rebuilds! Which is why I'm here today, actually. Like I said before, this is my first case, and my brother and I _really_ need your help in putting all the pieces together here." Bolin explained.

While a lengthy explanation like that would probably bore or confuse most people, Mr. Che and his daughter appeared to be completely entranced, hooked on every word that their favorite mover star said. They were still trying to comprehend the fact that they were talking to_ the_ Nuktuk. "Wow, and I thought Nuktuk led a wild life, no wonder he was so cool." The man deduced. "Of course we'll help, anything you need!" Bolin turned around briefly, shooting his brother a knowing smirk and raising an eyebrow before turning back to the witness and his family. If Mako's jaw was any lower, it'd probably be on the ground right about now.

"Right! So, if you could walk us through the events of last night one more time?" Bolin began, taking Mako's pen and notepad while he was standing there in shock. Seeing as he was the one that the family had warmed up to, he figured he might as well be the one to ask the questions this time around.

"Of course. Like I told the detectives that came by earlier, sometime late last night, around 1AM maybe, my family and I were woken up by flashing lights and sounds of fighting coming from outside. We huddled against the back wall, not wanting to get too close, thinking maybe it was the Triads getting into another turf war over our part of the city, but something just felt... off. I'm not sure how to explain it, really, but I just had this really sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, and the air around me felt really, really heavy. Then there was a really bright flash of light and everything just stopped, and the feeling went away. After things had quieted down for a couple minutes, I took a look outside the window, but it was too dark to really see anything, so we'd assumed whatever was going on was over now and whoever was out there had run off. We went back to sleep maybe a half hour later, and then when I opened the door this morning to see if any damage had been done to our house, I saw the body lying in the street and I called the police. I'm just glad that my daughter didn't have to see it, it was horrible..." The father recited, a concerned look on his face as he glanced over at the young girl. She frowned in response, sensing his fear.

"I see... hmm..." The rookie officer hummed, jotting down a couple of his own notes into Mako's notebook, being sure to keep it on a page separate from his brother's. He seemed to be putting an emphasis on the strange feeling that the witness had described... did he have some sort of theory? "Can you remember what color these lights you saw were?" He followed up.

"Hmm... I think they were white." The father nodded. His daughter, however, shook her head, interjecting.

"No, they were blue, like the sky, and really really bright." She corrected.

"Ahh, that's right. I guess my eyes aren't what they used to be, their brightness really made them seem more white than blue, to me..." Bolin nodded, taking careful note of the color and connecting it back to the feeling that Mr. Che had described. Whenever Mako did his Lightningbending, Bolin got a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, too, and it usually fired off in a very bright, whitish-blue color, just like they'd described. Based on that description, his best guess was that at least one of the parties involved was a Firebender with the ability to conjure up Lightning. While certainly more prevalent today than it used to be, this was still a _very_ advanced skill, one that, relatively speaking, very few Firebenders actually had.

"Well, from what you've just described, I'd guess that at least one of the benders could use Lightning. My brother can do that too, so I'm familiar with the feeling. The colors and description of a bright light match, and it can be a pretty unsettling feeling if you've never been close to a Lightningbender before." Bolin explained, finishing writing everything down. "That actually helps us out a lot. Now we know at least one of the people involved was a really skilled Firebender, there aren't many people who know how to create lightning. This gives us a much smaller suspect pool to go through."

"Ah, I'm glad to hear that. But could lightning really do that to a person? That body looked more... mummified than burned." Mr. Che thought aloud. Bolin shrugged.

"I dunno, it's always possible that the victim was the Lightningbender, or that he was attacked by multiple people and one of them had the ability but somebody else actually killed him. Either way, this narrows things down, and now we actually have something to start working with. This is going to be really helpful in moving forward with the investigation! Thank you for all of your help." Bolin smiled warmly, genuinely thankful for their quick turnaround and detailed explanation of the events.

"Of course, anything for the mighty Nuktuk." The man smiled back.

"Oh, that's right! You two are fans, right? I might technically be on the clock right now, but since I'm here, how would you like an autograph, anyway?" The look in Mr. Che and his daughter's faces as they glanced briefly at each other and then back to Bolin said it all. Running back inside for a moment, when the girl came back out, she was holding a pristine Nuktuk poster in her hands. It was in remarkably good condition given the way the rest of her home looked, it almost looked as though it had been framed.

"It's my prized possession. Just write it out to Wang Ping and Li Li." She stated, excitedly handing it over to Bolin to sign. Nodding, he thought for a moment, writing down a few words of encouragement – from Nuktuk, of course – along with the dedication to the two of them and his signature next to Nuktuk's own. Handing it back to the girl, Li Li, she squeaked in excitement, immediately running back inside in order to show it off to her mom. Meanwhile, her father, Wang Ping, thanked the former mover star more properly, shaking his hand.

"Thank you. Things have been really tough for us lately, I haven't seen my daughter happy like that in a long time." He explained. Bolin shook his head.

"No, thank you – you've helped us out quite a bit. I wish you and your family the best!" He cheered, waving goodbye as Mr. Che stepped back inside, closing the door and returning to his family.

Meanwhile, Mako continued to just stand there, trying to wrap his head around the scene that'd just unfolded in front of him. "What the hell just happened?" He asked, though his intentions were more rhetorical than serious.

"I just got us a lead." Bolin confidently replied, starting back down the street to the police cruiser. Mako, however, continued to stand there for a while, rethinking pretty much the entirety of his life up until this point. Did that _seriously_ just happen? By the time that he had snapped out of it, Bolin was already half way down the street. Seemed that Mako was going to be the one having to play catch up, this time.

* * *

><p>As the last of the day's light disappeared from outside the window, Mako let loose a tired yawn. What a long day it had been. First day back on the beat in almost 3 years and he ends up walking into an entirely new precinct, gets immediately saddled with the darkest, strangest case of his career, got paired up with his <em>brother<em> of all people as a partner, and then got upstaged by said brother during a witness interview that he probably never would've gotten without him, complete with an entirely new lead that earlier detectives had failed to pick up on. And it was that lead that was keeping him sitting at his desk in the new station tonight, looking through the books for any and all known or registered Lightningbenders.

Even if the haystack was considerably smaller than it was before, the fact remained that this was still a 'needle in a haystack' situation. Relaying the new information to Dr. Lou after they'd returned to the station a few hours earlier, he'd confirmed that there were no signs of scorching consistent with a hit from a Lightningbender, nor did the state of the corpse reflect that of one struck by lightning at all, directly or otherwise, though light scorching on the fingertips did indicate the possibility that the victim had fired off some lightning themselves at close range. Armed with this new information, all he and his brother had to do now was figure out which of over 100 registered Firebenders with lightning conjuring capabilities was their victim, following up on the whereabouts of each and every one of them – a very time-consuming process which had kept the both of them busy for almost 6 hours now.

And this was assuming that their victim was even registered in the first place – it was entirely possible that they were a new or previously uncaptured member of the Triads, or an immigrant, or just some random Zhou who neglected to register their bending abilities with the United Republic, any one of those possibilities making it next to impossible to track them down. Given the current state of the body, matching faces was impossible, but Mako _could_ use the corpse's height and estimated weight before death in order to help him narrow down the search. So far, however, he'd had no luck. And from the looks of things, neither did Bolin, who appeared to have fallen fast asleep in his chair.

"Bolin. Hey, Bolin." The Firebender shook his brother, trying to wake him from his little nap. Reluctantly, the Earthbender stirred.

"Huh? What? I'm awake chief..." Bolin mumbled, stretching out his arms and letting loose a yawn. "...Oh, it's you Mako. What is it? Did you find our guy?" He asked.

"No, no luck yet. But hey, it's been a long day, and you're clearly pretty exhausted. Why don't you head back to the apartment and get some sleep? I'll finish up here tonight. I'm still waiting on that call from Dr. Lou, anyway." He suggested. His brother shook his head.

"It's fine, I can stay a little while longer. It's not like I have anything to do until later on, anyway. I'm taking Opal out to dinner at 9 – one of our favorite restaurants reopened last week and I promised her I'd take her tonight. But until then, I'm all for working a little overtime!" Bolin explained. He really didn't want to leave the station until they either had a name they could put to that horrible, horrible face, or it was time to go meet up with Opal. He felt like they were really, really close to a breakthrough, and he really didn't want to miss it. But, as it happened...

"...Uh, Bolin? It IS later. It's almost 8:45 right now." Mako wasn't sure if there were words that could adequately describe the look of sheer terror that overtook Bolin's face in that moment. And quite frankly, neither am I. It was the kind of look you'd see on somebody walking in on somebody else doing something that shouldn't be walked in on. The kind of look you'd expect an ant to be making as it realized it was about to be crushed by a boot. A face comparable to that made upon the discovery that 100,000 angry hornets have decided to build a nest in your bedroom and you just realized you're allergic to hornet stings. It was _that_ kind of a look.

"OHHHHHH CRAP. Crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrap!" Bolin cursed, pulling at his hair as he jumped up from his seat and ran in place, looking around the room for an exit. "I can NOT miss another date, Opal's about ready to kill me as it is! Sorry Mako, looks like I'm not gonna be able to help tonight aftERALLGOODLUCK!" He called, his words becoming progressively louder and more scrunched together as he dashed out the room at supersonic speeds, leaving the detective alone with his list of Lightningbenders once more. Well, it was more-or-less what he'd suggested in the first place, anyway...

Mako leaned back and stretched out his back and shoulders, letting loose another tired yawn. Much as he may have wanted to follow his brother's footsteps and get out of here himself, he didn't have such a convenient to excuse he could justify it to himself with. He had no reason _not_ to be here right now, and working overtime was always kind of his thing ever since he'd broken up with Korra. A lot of people on the force had always joked that the only thing Mako's heart belonged to was his desk, and on nights like these, he could kind of see why. Who else stays 2½ hours past the end of their shift making phone calls chasing down a lead? But he just couldn't bring himself to leave something like this unfinished. If there was more that could be done, he was going to do it. Then he could rest.

As it stood, he was still waiting on that call from the M.E. downstairs. It was getting late, but he'd be able to sleep a bit easier knowing that he'd made more headway on the case than "The victim was a Lightningbender". That wasn't good enough for him and it certainly wasn't going to be good enough for Chief Beifong, either. The way he saw it, right now, figuring out the cause of that discoloration and putting a name to that face was the most important thing right now. If they could crack that mystery, then maybe...

As if on cue, the phone situated on Mako's desk began to ring. Picking it up almost immediately, it was exactly who he was hoping it'd be. "Dr. Lou! Does this mean you've managed to figure out the cause of that discoloration? …I see …Uh-huh ...Got it, I'm on my way down." The message he'd been waiting for finally received, the detective hung up the phone, picked up the file of Lightningbenders on his desk, and headed out of the office and back towards the elevator. With any luck, this would be the break in the case he was looking for.

Arriving at the basement about a minute and a half later, as the elevator doors opened, Mako walked out into the long, dimly lit hall of the morgue, passing by a number of dark and empty rooms until coming upon the one he was looking for – Room 5 – which also happened to be the only one currently in use. It seemed that this place was a bit understaffed, as well.

"So doctor, you said I might actually be able to identify the body now?" He asked, rounding the corner through the open door and finding a much different – but still rather disturbing – looking body in front of him, the aforementioned Dr. Lou hovering over it, seeming to be finishing up his second examination, his focus currently being on the victim's face. It was no longer on the examination table like it had been earlier in the day, which had now been cleared off and cleaned, but rather one of the many freezer drawers in the wall, 'bagged and tagged' with only the top left open as the doctor performed his last quick cursory exam of the night.

"Yes, I've managed to rehydrate it somewhat. It looks more like a floater than a mummy now, and it's not perfect, but... it's better than what we had before, I suppose." He mused, turning around to meet the detective. "Oh? Only one of you this time? Well, I suppose we can't all be married to our work." He shrugged, removing his gloves and sitting back down at his desk, jotting down his last few notes before heading out.

"Yeah, Bolin had a... prior engagement. Technically, our shifts ended almost 3 hours ago, anyway. We've just been working overtime trying to track down any missing Lightningbenders who might fit what we know about the victim. No luck so far, but I'm hoping maybe you've managed to reconstruct their body enough that I can at least partially match their face to one of the photos on file." The medical examiner nodded.

"It might be possible. You can take a look for yourself if you'd like. In the process of trying to rehydrate his body, I've also managed to bring a bit more definition back to that discoloration your partner spotted earlier today. From what I can tell, it looks to be a hand print. It's a bit distorted, but it lends some credibility to the theory that this was some form of bending, I suppose." He explained, though his tone seemed uncertain.

"...A hand print? So he was burned, then?" Mako asked. The doctor thought for a moment.

"Well, possibly, but not by a Firebender. At least, I wouldn't think. If this is a burn, it's a very mild one, nothing like what you would expect a fiery hand to the face would entail. Quite frankly, I'm not sure what caused it. Nevertheless, I'm surprised this whole rehydration thing worked out as well as it did, I've never really had to do anything like this before. You're just lucky I'm a Waterbender, I'm not sure an ordinary person would've been able to do this." Not that this was a terribly uncommon trait in the medical field, considering Waterbenders could, on occasion, manifest natural healing abilities. So far as Mako knew, Dr. Lou _was_ one such Waterbender, but he seemed to prefer working with non-living patients, for whatever reason.

Nevertheless, it was now clear that their victim was male, though it was difficult to gauge his age since he was still in pretty poor condition. But, he was recognizable enough that when Mako took a closer look at his face, he was almost immediately able to identify him – he'd seen him when he was going through the list of names upstairs.

"...Two-Faced Kazuo. He was an enforcer for the Triple Threats, and a pretty high-ranking one at that." Mako identified with confidence. After having read through his file, he was almost surprised somebody had actually managed to kill him – he was infamous for his cunning and ferocity with bending, never mind his especially duplicitous nature. Thus the name, 'Two-Faced Kazuo'. He was a con man among con men and didn't take kindly to traitors to the organization, or to cops. He'd taken down more than a few good men in his day, on both sides of the law. Mako couldn't say he was sad to see him go, but he was still at a loss as to who could – or even would – have killed him. Crossing the Triads and taking out one of their higher-ranking officers was typically bad for a person's health.

The way Mako saw it, this was either a crime of opportunity and somebody had actually managed to catch him off guard and overpower the guy, or this was the work of a rival gang. Either way, this was going to be a pain in the ass – the Triple Threats were NOT going to be happy about this one. The detective remained silent for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts. He was hoping that putting a name to the face would help explain things, but honestly, the more he thought about it, it only seemed to raise more questions. Given who he was, most cops would probably just consider this an open-and-shut case of violence between rival gangs, but that explanation didn't really sit right with Mako. There were just too many unanswered questions and the manner in which he was killed was just too unusual, even for the Triads. It wasn't like anything he'd ever seen before.

As the doctor had explained earlier, it was always possible that this was just some horrifying new form of Waterbending, but it seemed to be closer to Bloodbending in execution. But then, Bloodbending wasn't something that just anybody could do, and virtually _no one_ could do it without a Full Moon in the sky in order to enhance their Waterbending powers. So unless Yakone had some more kids running around Republic City that nobody knew about, he somehow got the feeling that that wasn't it, either. Besides, whatever did this had drained more than just his blood. According to the preliminary report he'd read earlier, it had taken absolutely everything, every drop of liquid in his body – even his internal organs were left shriveled up and dry. To be perfectly honest, this didn't even seem like bending to Mako, this almost seemed... inhuman.

"...Doctor, during your second examination, did you come across anything that might be able to help better explain what did this to him?" He asked. He knew he'd probably just get the same theories as before, but he couldn't be sure until he asked. It was always possible he'd made a new discovery during the second examination.

"No... but, I did notice something a little strange when I was trying to circulate the water through his body." Mako raised an eyebrow.

"Strange? Strange how?" The Waterbender turned around, removing his thick, round glasses to look Mako directly in the eye, the look on his face markedly more serious than it was before. So. It was that kind of strange.

"Put simply, this man has absolutely no chi left in him whatsoever." He opened. "Now, I know what you're thinking – he's dead, right? Why would a dead man have any chi? But chi doesn't just suddenly disappear the instant you die, it's stored in all of your muscles and bones and pathways and internal organs, and it leaves your body gradually as it decays, returning to the world around it. So unless somebody has been dead for at least a couple of weeks – which I am certain that this man was not – then normally, you'd expect to find at least a little bit of chi leftover, but... this man has none. It was as though it was drained from him along with every fluid in his body. And for that, I have no explanation." The look on Mako's face became decidedly more grim. Bending that could remove chi? Was that even possible? The more he heard, the more he began to side with his gut on this one – this did not seem human.

"...You don't think... a spirit could have done this, do you?" Dr. Lou remained silent. He didn't want to go there, himself, but he was struggling to think of anything else that could possibly do this to a person. This was not a normal death. The virtual mummification was one thing, but completely draining somebody else's chi? There was no bender that could do that. This was, quite simply, beyond him.

"That... detective... is something you're going to have to figure out for yourself." He replied, putting his glasses back on and adjusting his tie, standing up from his desk and moving back to the body in order to zip it up and put it back into storage. "I'm afraid I've done all I can with Mr. Kazuo here. I don't think his body has any more secrets to be divulged. I will be returning it to storage and submitting my report to Chief Beifong in the morning. I suggest you head home and get some rest tonight, doctor's recommendation. Whatever happened here, you're going to want to go at it at 100%. I will remain reachable should another case present itself, but for now, I will be heading home to get some much needed rest, I've been going non-stop since yesterday evening. Goodnight, detective." With that, Dr. Lou closed and locked the drawer, giving a short bow as he headed for the doorway, hanging up his white lab coat and in its stead, grabbing his brown hat and jacket from a chair by the door as he headed out. He'd seen all he needed to see for one night.

Mako just stood there for a moment. If this was the act of an angry spirit, then Korra sure picked one hell of a time to disappear on a 2+ month vacation. Letting loose an annoyed sigh, Mako sunk. The doctor was right. He'd been at this all day, a little relaxation couldn't hurt. With Bolin preoccupied with his date with Opal, he supposed he'd might as well head back to their apartment and enjoy some time alone while he had it. Something told him this was going to be a very long week.

* * *

><p>The next morning, in one of Republic City's newer, rapidly expanding districts, a tall, dark-skinned man sat behind his desk at what was currently the topmost completed floor of the new Future Industries Tower, one of the first buildings to be relocated and reconstructed in the aftermath of Kuvira's attack. Though the sounds of construction raged on above him as benders and non-benders alike bent and raised the steel girders and thick, white granite walls that defined the half-completed building, his work was much too important for him to allow something as meager as background noise interrupt him.<p>

As the temporary head of Future Industries, he was a very busy man, and as much as he may have wanted to join his crew in erecting this new tower for his boss and the city alike, he knew that his place right now was here, signing contracts, reviewing plans and making sure that everything was continuing to run smoothly on a company-wide level throughout the city. Even with all of the extra help from Zaofu's Metalbenders and volunteers from around the country, Future Industries was being spread thin. Real thin. They must've had 8 different projects ongoing as it was _at least_, and there were more and more coming in every day. Help from Varrick Global Industries was certainly much appreciated, but the man also knew that they, too, were likely having trouble keeping up with their own workload. This was a fight that Future Industries would have to win, for the most part, on its own.

However, it wasn't all bad news. In fact, he'd just received the best news he'd heard all week. It appeared that his boss and the true CEO of the company, Asami Sato, was finally on her way back from her vacation in the Spirit World aboard one of the company's fastest ships, en route from the South Pole. It appeared that she and her vacationing companion, Avatar Korra, had elected to visit the Southern Water Tribe and spend a day with the Avatar's family before heading back to Republic City the long way. At first, he questioned why she didn't just traverse the Spirit Portals and return through the new one that'd opened up in the middle of the city, but then, he didn't really know the exact layout of the Spirit World – for all he knew, that could've been an even longer trip.

Besides, he suspected that she may have wanted to drag out her vacation just a little bit longer before jumping back into _this_ stressful position. He couldn't blame her. He'd also had his suspicions about the exact nature of her vacation since day one, immediately assuming that it was about more than just a little R&R with a good friend. After all, you usually didn't disappear into a pillar of light at sunset for two months with a "good friend" and not contact anybody else while you were away. But, that was none of his business. What or who the boss was up to in her spare time was her thing, who was he to judge? And after losing her father like that, she more than deserved all the time off. Much as he was getting tired of being stuck behind a desk, he wouldn't mind holding the position a little longer, for her sake. After all, she was more than just the boss, she was also an old friend.

"Ravi, sir," Ravi's bright, golden-brown eyes immediately darted up to the door. It appeared that his receptionist, Wei, had some news for him. "The captain says he's picked up Ms. Sato and the Avatar from the Southern Water Tribe and is on course to be here by sometime late tomorrow afternoon." The red-haired man gave a silent nod in response, the receptionist exiting the room immediately after.

Just one more day of this, huh? He was a little surprised, but then, Asami HAD asked for their fastest ship – he couldn't go underestimating one of their own, now. Apparently, the Avatar wanted to weigh in on Kuvira's trial before they got to sentencing, so they were in something of a rush to get back. An understandable position. From what he'd heard, the Avatar did everything in her power to spare Kuvira's life once before, during the battle with her Colossus, so it stood to reason in his mind that she would try and do so again. He couldn't say he quite understood it, but that's why he wasn't the Avatar, he supposed. That wasn't to say that he wasn't a damn good bender, though – he was one of the best Earthbenders he knew – but he took a decidedly more... simple approach to things.

That's what made him so good at his job, and for filling the position that he was currently in. He was a simple man who took a simple approach, and if the things he was doing were not intrinsically simple, he worked at it until he found the simplest possible way he could go about it. He was all about meeting new challenges and studying them and figuring them out, mastering them in his own unique way. It's what he'd done with the management of Future Industries, and what he was doing with his Metalbending training. One of his volunteer workers had graciously, well, volunteered, to teach him a couple of times a week. He felt like he was starting to get the hang of it.

Leaning back in his seat and placing his feet atop his desk, Ravi folded his hands behind his head and looked up to the ceiling, closing his eyes. Soon, he'd be back where he _really_ wanted to be, helping put this city back together piece by piece. It wouldn't be too much longer now.

His rest was short-lived, however, as one of his business partners – head of Varrick Global Industries, Sir Varrick himself – came barging through the door before his receptionist could alert him. "_Typical Varrick."_ He thought to himself, a sigh escaping his grinning lips as he removed his feet from his desk, sat back up, and met the Southern Water Tribe billionaire face-to-face. "Ah, Varrick, I wasn't expecting you." He opened, though the aforementioned billionaire didn't really seem to be paying much attention to him, his focus instead on checking out the temporary CEO's new office space. He'd just moved up here a few days ago when construction had completed, working out of a small office space on the ground floor up until then.

"Nobody expects me, kid, not even me. All part of the Varrick experience!" Well, he wasn't wrong. Perhaps the only one who really expected anything Varrick came up with was his assistant turned wife and business partner, Zhu Li, who was standing quietly beside him, as per usual. Then again, compared to Varrick, just about everybody seemed quiet. "By the way, loving the new office space, much more spacious and refined than that dingy closet you were using last time I swung by. Now THIS is a room where decisions can get made!"

"Thank you, I think? But we're not planning to move the office again unless Ms. Sato decides to upon her return, so yes, this is likely permanent." The red-haired man explained. "So, Mr. Varrick, what can Future Industries do for you today?" He asked.

"Hm? Oh, no, actually, it's what I can do for you! See, I've got some primo seats lined up for the premiere of that new mover they were talking about on the radio yesterday, "The Dancing Dragons", so I'm inviting a bunch of people and making an event out of it! We've all been working our butts off lately building and rebuilding this city, so I figured why not take a night off and enjoy some quality entertainment? I'm telling you, this Ryuuki kid's a talent like I've never seen, it's like he was BORN TO LIE!" Varrick exclaimed with excitement. His... exuberant, personality may have caught the interim CEO off guard in the past, but he'd become at least partially accustomed to it by now. It just took him a little while to adjust.

"Well, thank you for the invitation, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline for now. I've just received word that Ms. Sato will be returning to us tomorrow afternoon, so there's a lot I have to get done before she arrives. I can't have her inheriting all of my messes now, you know?" Ravi explained. A mover did sound nice, but there was just too much work to be done. Honestly, he wondered how Varrick found the time for it. Then again, his business practices were always more than a little unorthodox, so he'd probably found some way to keep things together for the occasional night off here or there. Sometimes, he couldn't help but wonder if maybe those rumors of him having a platypus bear on his board of directors were true.

"Oh, Asami's coming back? That's great news! I'm surprised she's been gone so long, actually, even Zhu Li's and my honeymoon didn't last more than a couple of weeks! That girl must've been all kinds of tired, let me tell ya." Varrick shrugged. Well, there was a bit more to it than just that, but he wasn't wrong. "Anyway, the premiere isn't for another couple days, so that should be enough time to get things in order, no? In fact, invite Korra and Asami for me when they get back! I've already got the President and his wife lined up, might as well go for the whole shebang of Republic City's leaders, eh? Guess I'd better go see if that stick-in-the-mud Tenzin would be up for it as well." Varrick thought aloud. A few days from now? Well, in that case...

"Oh? That _would_ be better, actually. I'll pass along your invitation and see what she says. Perhaps we can work something out." Ravi explained simply.

"GREAT!" However, there was nothing simple about Varrick, only over-the-top. "Looking forward to it! Oh, I'd better go invite Bolin too, he used to be a part of the movers. He should definitely be up for it! Zhu Li, we're off!" ...And just as soon as he'd arrived, he was gone. But at least Zhu Li was a bit more polite.

"Sorry for the intrusion. I hope you can manage to work something out, it _would_ be wonderful to have you, Asami and everyone join us, Ravi. Later." She bowed, exiting the room after her new husband, who'd elected to wait for his wife outside the door rather than take off like he usually would. Ravi bowed his head briefly from behind his desk in response, the room returning to the background static of construction noises from before after they had left. Varrick always did have a tendency to be the loudest thing in a room.

Well. Those visits were always 'fun', he supposed. This one just happened to cut right into his scheduled break time. So much for taking a little nap... With an overworked sigh, he reluctantly returned to work.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back at his apartment, a freshly showered and mostly dressed Mako prepared a simple, buttered toast breakfast at a small counter set against the rear wall, an old radio sitting atop his fridge left on and tuned in to a local Jazz station in the background. Taking a bite of the first slice as soon as he was finished buttering it, the young Firebender knocked twice on the wall of his two room apartment as he walked back toward the couch in the middle of the room, hoping to hurry his brother along. Not only had he spent more than half the night out with his girlfriend and woke up over half an hour later than intended, but now he was dragging his feet and taking forever to get dressed, too, responding primarily in tired grunts and moans when prompted.<p>

If there was one thing Bolin was not, it was a morning person, which just made his chipper attitude and early arrival to the station yesterday all the more surprising to the detective. Maybe it was just a fluke? "Bolin, come on, we're going to be late!" Mako called from the couch as he briefly took a seat, taking another bite out of his breakfast. It was simple, but it was also quick, both to eat and to make, especially with his Firebending – precisely what he needed right now. As it stood, if the two of them left sometime within the next 10 minutes, they _might_ be able to make it to the precinct on time, provided the traffic wasn't too heavy this morning. But, with the city still deep in the midst of construction and the station located in one of the busiest, half-completed new districts, he found that somewhat unlikely.

Between all of the crowds, construction crews, and building materials lying in the streets and all of the road work that was going on, getting much of anywhere in this town was a real pain, these days. Though to be honest, it was a miracle that all the newer districts were as complete, navigable and habitable as they were, given how short of a time it'd been. Without all of the help from Zaofu's Metalbenders – feeling somewhat responsible for Kuvira's actions and genuinely wanting to help out their allies in the United Republic – and all of the neighboring states sending in so many architects and volunteers, they probably wouldn't be even half as far along as they were right now. But, there was still a lot of work to be done before any of what had currently been tacked on could be considered complete or functional.

Last he'd checked the paper, if the current rate of work continued, it was estimated that the current Republic City Reconstruction & Expansion Plan would be completed within the space of about a year and a half – factoring in the reconstruction of the residential districts most badly affected by Kuvira's weapon, of course. Which as it happened, didn't appear to be one of the United Republic's primary concerns right now, thus potentially dragging things out an extra 6 months. If a bit more effort was put into cleaning up and restoring what was already there, then maybe things wouldn't be as crime-ridden and hectic as they were, but right now, it was all about progress and expansion for the government and anything else was an afterthought. And as far as Mako was concerned, it was going to be holding this place back.

Speaking of the paper, since he still had a little time until Bolin finished getting ready, he figured he might as well see what was going on in the city beyond the precinct today. This quickly revealed itself to be a bad idea, however, as he was immediately greeted by the Republic City Chronicler's top story of the day: "Strange Body Found in Dragon Flats Leaves Police Stumped". Mako sighed, something he seemed to be doing a lot of lately. But if he didn't, he felt like his head was going to explode. How did the press even find out about...? Oh, who was he kidding, it was the press, how DIDN'T those leeches find out about something. The Chief was going to tear him a new one for this. Whether it was his fault or not, it was his case, and that meant it was his responsibility. Even if it wasn't actually his responsibility.

The second top story was a little better, at least: "Avatar and Head of Future Industries Picked Up from South Pole: Avatar and Ms. Sato slated to return to Republic City tomorrow afternoon". Given his recent theories about his current case, Mako couldn't help but feel a sense of relief come over him knowing that Korra was _finally_ on her way back, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't feeling a little anxious, as well. It'd been two months without a word – she never even told him that she was leaving, let alone where she was going. He had to hear the news secondhand from her parents before they left the party.

He thought that the two of them were finally on good terms again, but then she just goes and runs off with Asami? What the hell was even up with those two lately? Apparently she'd actually bothered to write back to her while she was recuperating, but not him or Bolin? Granted, a master wordsmith he was not, and his letters were probably more painful to read than the poison, but that kind of hurt. He'd forgiven her for it a while ago, but things between those two just hadn't been adding up lately. They seemed to be closer than ever while he was kind of just third-wheeling all the time, and he couldn't exactly put his finger on why.

The answer, of course, was obvious, but it wasn't one that _this_ detective was going to be sleuthing out anytime soon. That thought hadn't even crossed his mind. Coincidentally, it WAS one of Bolin's many theories, but he only considered it a "theory" as much as it was a "theory" that there was life on other planets that knew about and wanted to take ours from us for the purposes of obtaining all our gold. It wasn't as much a "theory" as it was an extremely remote possibility that couldn't possibly be true. Another completely wrong assumption from the Super Bending Bros. ...The first one, that is. The alien one is just plain nuts.

Finally, Bolin stepped out of the bedroom, sliding open the door fully dressed for work, but still looking as though he were half asleep. With a yawn, he approached the couch his brother was sitting on, exhaustively plopping into the seat next to Mako, glancing down at the plate of toast that had just been slid his way. "I made a few extra pieces for you. You should probably put _something_ in your stomach before we go." The detective advised. Didn't sound like a bad idea to him. "Long night?" Mako asked.

"Yeah, something like that. Oh, but it was great though!" Bolin replied, quickly correcting his tone with his second statement. He didn't wanna go giving off the wrong impression, now. "You woke me up just in time, I somehow managed to get there literally _right_ as it turned 9. I almost thought I wasn't going to make it." He explained.

"Don't thank me, thank your snoring. It was starting to get obnoxious." Mako joked. "So you and Opal have been doing pretty well again, huh?"

"Yeah, we've been slowly trying to patch things up and get back to the way things were before since the wedding. I really screwed up for a while there. I just wanted to help people so much that I couldn't see what Kuvira was actually doing, even though Opal kept trying to warn me. And then it was too late. Honestly, she's a big part of the reason why I wanted to join the police, like you. I mean, yeah, I want to help people, definitely, but I also want to show her that I _can_, too, you know? I want to show her that I'm not just some easily led idiot, that I actually know what I'm doing." Mako gave Bolin a concerned look. So that was it, huh? An idealist with a cause, trying to prove himself to the girl he loved. It wasn't all that often he heard his brother talk so candidly about this sort of stuff, it must've really been weighing heavy on his mind lately.

"Well, you're definitely not an idiot. You're a little eccentric, sure, but so's Varrick, and he's one of the single most successful men in the world. Just, you actually have a moral compass." That was the important part. Though, Varrick had been changing lately – a fact Bolin consistently defended.

"Ah, Varrick's not so bad. He's made some mistakes in the past, but he's been changing a lot lately, ever since he saw what Kuvira was doing with his technology. He's a different man, Mako. You should give him another chance." The younger brother pleaded.

"Eh, maybe you're right. He _has_ been working pretty hard to help out with the city lately, but I can't help but feel like there's some sort of ulterior motive at play whenever it comes to that guy, you know? Time will tell, I guess." Mako shrugged.

"Yeah. Anyway, did you make any headway on the case after I ran out on you last night? I really wanted to help, but you know." Bolin awkwardly inquired, sticking another piece of toast in his mouth.

"Yeah, victim's Two-Faced Kazuo, an enforcer for the Triple Threats. A pretty high-ranking one, too. The mark you noticed on his face turned out to be a distorted hand print, but Dr. Lou isn't sure what caused it exactly, it doesn't seem to be consistent with a burn or anything that bending could've left." Mako explained. Then again, he was almost certain that their killer wasn't human by this point.

"...Wow. Somebody offed a Triple Threat enforcer right smack dab in the middle of their own territory? We might not have to catch this guy after all, I'm sure they'll probably get to them before we ever do." Bolin half-joked, though the expression on his face became immediately more serious when he saw the look on Mako's own. "...What's wrong?"

"I dunno. Something about this case just feels... wrong. Looking at that body again last night... there was something else Dr. Lou mentioned, about his chi. He told me that Kazuo had only been dead a short time and that his body should still have some chi left in it as a result, but when he was using his bending to help guide the water through his body and rehydrate his flesh, he noticed that it was gone. All of it. Whoever killed him and whatever they did to do it not only drained away all of his blood and bodily fluids, it drained away all of his chi, as well. There is no bending that can do that. I'm starting to think... I'm starting to think maybe our killer isn't even human. Maybe this is some sort of spirit attack." Bolin just sat there in stunned silence for a moment. A spirit? Really? Man, Korra sure did pick a hell of a time to go on vacation.

"...Welp, it was nice knowing you, Mako. Lin's going to kill you when she hears about this one." Bolin warned in response, his tone being that of a joke but his words only half of one at best. Mako sighed again. Bolin was probably right, Beifong was _not_ going to be happy about this one.

"Well, whatever. The facts are the facts whether she likes them or not, and right now, they're pointing towards something more than human being responsible for this. I'm sure she'll come around. Thankfully, Korra and Asami are on their way back, they apparently showed up and radioed for a ship from the South Pole. They're scheduled to be here by tomorrow, so with any luck, if this _does_ turn out to be a spirit thing, maybe I can try and get her on board with the investigation. It'd be a bit more than a police investigation then." He explained, rising from his seat and walking over to the coat rack in the corner by the door, grabbing his police jacket off the hook and putting it on.

"They're back!? Oh man, it's been too long! I can't wait!" Bolin clapped. Well, somebody sure seemed to be awake now. "Also, sorry bro, but trust me, Lin is NOT going to want to hear this. 10 yuans says she threatens to fire you." He wagered. Seriously?

"Bull, you're on." Oh Mako. Poor, poor Mako. You just made yourself a deal with the devil.

* * *

><p>"You think my suspect is a <em>WHAT<em>?" See? What did Bolin say?

"A... a spirit, ma'am." Mako repeated meekly, feeling as though he'd just swallowed a wood frog. Normally, this would be the part where Bolin would be giving Mako his best "I told you so" face, but quite frankly, a pissed off Beifong was as terrifying a concept to him as it was Mako. In fact, maybe even a little more. Yeah, definitely a little more. Okay, a lot more. He was about ready to wet himself over there. "...I know it's a bit of an unorthodox theory, but if you read Dr. Lou's report, I just can't see a human as being able to do this to somebody. I mean, ripping out all of his bodily fluids is one thing, but his chi, too? The only thing I can think of that might be able to do that would be a spirit." He tentatively explained.

"Well Aang sure had no problem bending other people's chi and energy. As I recall, he used that ability to take away people's bending. And Korra used the same thing on me to give me mine back after Amon took it away with that Bloodbending bullcrap of his." Lin stubbornly replied. An angry spirit murdering people in her city was the _last _thing she needed right now. The Avatar was on vacation, crime was through the roof, the Triads were taking more territory than ever before and she had a dozen politicians and President Raiko himself on her back to do something about it. Human criminals? Those she could deal with. Spirit ones? That was where she drew the line.

"Yes, well, Aang and Korra are Avatars, Chief, and they aren't exactly human, either. Not completely, anyway. Nobody else has ever demonstrated that kind of ability, and it might not be too much to assume that they can only do it because of Raava's influence." Mako responded. Well, he had a point. Then again, Amon HAD demonstrated that there were other ways to mess with a person's chi... though, cutting off pathways with Bloodbending wasn't exactly the same thing as outright removing the stuff. Maybe Mako was right. But if he was, it was a very, very bad kind of right. Bad for the city _and_ bad for her.

"I think Mako might actually be on to something, Li-er, Chief Beifong." Bolin interjected, coming to his brother's defense. "Normally, Dragon Flats is crawling with spirits, it has been ever since the North and South Spirit Portals were opened, but when we were down there yesterday, I couldn't see any. Anywhere. It was almost as if something had scared them all away. I don't think there's anybody who could do that other than the Avatar, but an especially angry and violent spirit might do the trick." Another good point, which was simultaneously also very bad. Lin did not like the way that this was going.

"Let's say you're right. Let's say we have some psycho spirit going on a killing spree in Republic City. Just what exactly do you propose we do about that? Hm? Throw it in prison? Shove it through the Spirit Portal? It's a spirit, it'll get out of anything we put it in and our bending isn't exactly the most effective thing against those things." ...Spree?

"...Spree? There's been another death?" Mako asked. Lin simply slid a paper across her desk, the same one Mako had looked at briefly before making his way down to the precinct. ...Oh. He'd just assumed that was about the body they'd found yesterday. Another one had popped up in the same area? Well, it seemed to have a preferred hunting ground. Lin sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she kept her other hand to her hip. She was clearly stressed.

"Look, the Avatar's coming back tomorrow. I want you to bring her in on this investigation as soon as that ship of hers reaches shore, capiche? If you're right about this, then I don't think my benders are going to be of much use to you. But I'm not just going to sit on my ass all night, either. I'm going to be increasing patrols in Dragon Flats by 100% tonight on the off chance that this _isn't_ a spirit. You two just make sure you come back with the Avatar tomorrow and we'll put together a plan to track this thing down and stop it once and for all, before it kills again. You two are dismissed." Mako and Bolin both breathed a sigh of relief. That definitely could've gone worse.

"Oh, and Bolin," Right as he turned to walk away, Bolin almost felt as though he'd had a heart attack hearing his name called. WELP. "...Good work yesterday. I'm impressed. Dr. Lou made sure to credit you for that hand print discovery in his report, and I read in Mako's how you managed to calm down the witness and made that Lightningbending connection. You've got a good head on your shoulders. Don't be afraid to use it more often." ...Uh?

"...Uh... thanks, Chief..." Well. That just happened. Giving an assured nod, Lin then sent the two of them on their way, the brothers walking out the frosted glass door and closing it behind them, just standing there for a moment. "...Did she just...?" Bolin asked.

"I told you, bro. You've just got to have a little bit more faith in yourself." Mako replied with a smile. Admittedly, he supposed he did, as well. If there was anything these last two days had begun to show him, it was that maybe he was underestimating his little brother in ways he shouldn't have been. If there was one thing Bolin was always good at, it was rising to the occasion when it mattered most, and it seemed that this new job of his was no different.

"Yeah... I guess so." He replied, smiling confidently. "...Now, about that 10 yuans..."

* * *

><p>As the sun began to set in the sky, Korra stood atop the deck of the Future Industries ship she and her new fiancee were heading home on, smiling as she watched spirits and fish alike skip across the water's surface around them. Closing her eyes, she was sure to take it all in – the feel of the cool ocean breeze on her skin, the sound of waves sloshing against the sides of the ship, the scent of that salty ocean air... if there was one thing she'd missed during all her time in the Spirit World, it was serene ocean sunsets like this one. The last time she'd seen one of these, she was also sailing back to Republic City from the South Pole, but under an entirely different set of circumstances.<p>

Back then, she was alone, albeit of her own accord. She thought that that was what she needed. She thought a lot of things back then. She thought she was ready to return to the city, too, but she still wasn't 100% at the time, and unbeknownst to her, traces of the Red Lotus' metallic poison were still wreaking havoc on her system. Back then, she couldn't wait to get back to Asami, and Mako, and Bolin, and everybody, but in the end, things didn't exactly go as planned. She still had some healing and some soul searching left to do, and ultimately it'd end up being another 6 months before she finally felt ready and able to return to the ones she loved.

But things were different now.

Now her health was long since returned to her, the world was finally at peace, balance had been restored between the two worlds, and she wasn't so alone, anymore. Not only did she have all her friends and the Airbenders patiently waiting for her return back in Republic City, but now she had Asami, too, and as more than just a friend. More than even a girlfriend. "Fiancee, huh..." She thought aloud, opening her eyes to catch the moment where the sea almost seemed to cleave the sun's disc in two. "We've come a long way, haven't we, Naga?" She asked, causing the large polar bear dog that was curled up behind her to raise an ear in response. "To think, not even a year ago I was wondering if I'd ever be the Avatar I used to be, and now..."

Korra sighed contentedly. Things could change so much in such a short amount of time that it was mind boggling. And for once, it was change that she actually wanted.

"I thought I'd find you up here." Korra's eyes widened slightly as another voice broke her train of thought.

"Hey, Asami." She greeted, turning around to give the young CEO a small 'hello' peck on the lips. "Something up?"

"Nah, I was just wondering where you'd run off to. The captain says we should be reaching Republic City by tomorrow afternoon." She explained, taking a spot next to her new fiancee so that she could enjoy the sunset right alongside her, the two of them leaning comfortably against the ship's railing.

"That soon, huh? I kind of wish you'd called for a slower ship." The Avatar half-joked, prompting a giggle out of the dark-haired woman to her right. So, this was their last night technically on vacation, huh? She supposed she'd better try and make the most of it. "I was just thinking of the last time I saw a sunset like this. I still wasn't in the best place back then, but I was trying. I wanted nothing more than for things to just be normal again, to be back with you and everybody else. I came so close, but... in the end, I ran away. I guess it's a good thing that I did, though. If I hadn't, I probably never would've met Toph, or gotten the last of the poison removed, or anything. It's funny how things work out sometimes, huh? What seems so horrible at the time can sometimes seem so important in retrospect, a stepping stone to something even bigger and better than what you had before." Korra thought aloud, Asami listening intently to every word.

"Almost sounds like something Iroh would say." She remarked, prompting Korra to be the one to giggle, this time.

"Yeah, I guess he kind of rubs off on you after a while. I've gotta say though, that look on his face when you actually beat him at Pai Sho was priceless." This time, both of them laughed, Korra resting her head on Asami's shoulder immediately afterward, hanging on to her fiancee's left arm. "Everything's changing so much lately, but for once, I couldn't be more excited. Tomorrow's going to be a great day, I can feel it in my bones." Asami smiled.

"Yeah. Me too." As the sun disappeared below the horizon, Asami turned, kissing Korra's head before the two of them broke away as the sky grew ever-darker, stars overtaking whatever traces of sunlight still remained. "So. We've still got a night and a morning to ourselves before we're back in the city and our vacation is officially over. Wanna head back below deck and see if we can't make the most of it?" She asked, eyebrows raised, eliciting a knowing and mischievous grin from the Water Tribe girl in response.

"Girl, you just read my mind. Bet I can make it back downstairs before you can." She wagered, the same smile that was on her face making it's way over to Asami's.

"Oh, you are _so_ on." Asami confidently replied, the two girls breaking off into a sprint for the stairway down below.

* * *

><p>Somewhere in the ocean, several dozen kilometers off the shore of Republic City...<p>

A familiar wooden prison housing a particularly powerful prisoner of interest bustled with an unusual amount of activity from the guards currently stationed there, the radio to which they were listening relaying the latest news from the independent city-state. "Did you hear that story about those murders? Man, that's just freaky... there's some pretty terrifying benders out there, huh?" One of the guards began, both appalled and amazed at the creativity of criminals these days.

"Eh, who says it's even a bender? Sure have been a lot of spirits lately, especially since our guest over there opened up that new Portal in the Downtown area. Maybe one of them did it." A female guard spoke up.

"A spirit? Heh, they must be pretty angry to be lashing out like that. Maybe they're pissed about that giant Spirit Weapon that blew up half the city. Quite frankly, _I'm_ still pissed about that one." Another replied, the group of three laughing while their prisoner simply sat quietly in her wooden cage, her eyes closed in the crescent moon's light.

How long had she been here now while her trial continued to drag on and on? Weeks? Months? She'd stopped paying attention a while ago. She knew what the verdict what her crimes would be. She was a very particular kind of "villain", the kind of which examples were made. She had a whole nation – or former nation, as it were – calling for her head, and she knew that Raiko and the other world leaders were going to let them have it. After everything she'd done, it was the only logical conclusion. She knew her life was forfeit the moment she surrendered, but in that moment, she also knew that all that time, she had been in the wrong. She knew what she had done, and for that reason, she felt no injustice in her impending doom.

The two guards immediately in front of her little box, meanwhile, were talking about an entirely different news story, one that the three in the break room behind her and to her right had overlooked. This one actually managed to catch her attention. "Did you hear the announcement, though? The Avatar's finally back. Apparently she was on a vacation in the Spirit World with a friend these past two months." Kuvira's eyes half opened. Korra was back? Had it really been two months now?

"Really? So that's where she'd run off to? Good for her. She needed a break after everything she just had to go through. Kuvira really put her through the wringer, huh?" The second guard replied.

"Yeah. I think they said something about her wanting to weigh in on her trial? Well, whatever. I think this one's about as good as dead, at this point... won't have to be standing out here for too much longer." The first one concluded with a laugh. Meanwhile, the dark-haired former ruler of the briefly lived Earth Empire smiled weakly to herself. So Korra was going to be involving herself in her trial now?

Well, well, well... seemed as though things might end up getting a little bit more interesting, after all.


	3. Welcome Back to Republic City

**Chapter Three**

**Welcome Back to Republic City**

"You know, somehow, I didn't expect there to be so many people. I don't know what I was thinking."

And just like that, any hopes that she may have had of a nice, quiet return to Republic City with her new fiancee were immediately dashed with one quick look toward the city's Western Harbor, a crowd of almost 500 gathered near the pier already, anxiously awaiting the Avatar's and Asami's return. Standing next to Naga and Asami atop the deck of their ship, Korra couldn't help but groan. She could already hear their cheering from here. Was her return really that big of a deal? Were people really _th__is_ excited to have their Avatar back? Or was there something else going on that she didn't know about? Hopefully it was the former. Adoring fans were one thing, but the world could wait a few days before it made another mess for her to clean up.

Given how many had gathered, she imagined the press were probably at the front of the crowd, ready to assault her with a dozen questions she had no intention of answering, now or ever. They were the _last_ people she wanted to deal with right now. She was really hoping she could maybe take a day or two to settle back into things and then call for a press conference after she'd finished weighing in on Kuvira's trial, but nope. Leave it to the press to ruin everything and make it more annoying than it had to be. Korra was beginning to remember just how stressful her job actually was, she'd gotten too used to just kicking back in the Spirit World with Asami.

Oh God, they were probably going to be asking about that, weren't they? Her and Asami disappearing into the Spirit World together like that? How many rumors had cropped up since they'd left? That was going to be awkward to address. I mean, Korra's parents were one thing, as would be Mako and Bolin, but now the whole city was going to be talking about the two of them. I mean, it was inevitable regardless – no matter what she did, people were going to be finding out about their relationship eventually – but still, she'd literally JUST gotten back from vacation and proposed to the girl, it could wait a little while. She wanted to settle back in and enjoy this, not turn it into the next big news story.

"Wow. I guess news of me contacting my company got out pretty quick, huh? Somehow, I'm not surprised." Asami sighed. She was kind of looking forward to a peaceful return as well, but she'd had enough run-ins with the press during her tenure as CEO of Future Industries to know better.

As the Avatar, Korra generally knew better as well – the press had been especially critical of her in the past – but she was a bit more optimistic about things this time around, considering there were no major issues she had to deal with anymore and thus no real need for her to have to play savior of the world and stand as a flawless being that could do no wrong. But, apparently that didn't matter. She'd been gone a long time and they had a lot of questions to ask and gossip columns to fill, and her status made her the perfect target – and Asami was no different.

Oh God, Asami... she was probably going to be getting the worst of it, most of the questions directed at her probably being rather critical of her decision to run off with the Avatar instead of staying behind and helping to rebuild the city. Forget the fact the girl had just lost her father and watched the city she helped build get leveled in a day by a giant mecha suit, she had to stay back and surrender her sanity for the sake of the United Republic! Just thinking about it made Korra angry. Maybe she was assuming too much, but Korra had learned enough from how they'd treated all of _her_ past mistakes and questionable decisions to know better than to trust those bastards' intentions.

Asami, of course, had picked up on her partner's unease almost immediately, placing her hand on the clearly disgruntled Korra's shoulder and giving her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it, I know how to handle the press. We don't have to answer anything we don't want to. Anything else, just let them talk. They'd probably be right, anyway." She alluded, causing Korra's cheeks to almost immediately become flushed. Hardly!

"Yeah, well, whether they are or not, the last thing I want is the press snooping around our personal lives." Korra somewhat awkwardly replied, defending her position. "Oh well. If it comes to that, then I guess I'll just have to get a little rough with them and help them see it _my_ way, set some more clearly defined boundaries." She concluded with a self-assured grin, pounding her fist into her hand as a euphemism for beating the ever-loving crap out of whoever tried to get in their way.

"My hero." Asami jokingly swooned. Normally, she'd advise her fiancee _against_ taking such violent actions against the press, but she couldn't say she entirely disagreed with her position this time around. She felt bad for the first paparazzi to try and sneak into the Sato Estate after Korra moved in. They were probably gonna be learning the true meaning of the word fear shortly thereafter, and how to walk again shortly after that. Brutally enforced privacy: Just one of the many benefits of having the Avatar for a partner.

But, Asami was right. Korra had no idea what she was thinking – she could handle anything these guys could dish out, especially now! Where dread and anger once painted her face, there was now only pure, unbridled confidence. Now THIS was the Avatar she used to be. The tension of the situation successfully diffused, as their ship finally pulled into the harbor and up to the crowded pier, she felt like she was ready for anything. As the cheering crowd grew louder and louder, it just seemed to pump her up more and more, the smile on her face growing wider as Asami hung onto her, wrapping her arms around her waist for support as Naga stepped down onto the ramp with the two girls now sitting on her back, the three of them deboarding the ship together.

The clicks and whines of shutters and flashbulbs filled the air as cameras went off all around them, capturing the two girls and their polar bear dog's slow descent down the ramp and walk down the pier as Korra waved, a genuine smile on hers and her fiancee's face. Unsurprisingly, the gathered news reporters at and near the front row were already asking questions and pressing for comments, even while Korra and Asami were still a good hundred fifty or so feet from the crowd whose cheers at that distance were drowning out most of whatever it was they were trying to ask. Those guys really were relentless, weren't they? Both of them, the press and the crowd. She honestly wasn't sure which party was more excited to see her and her traveling companion back in Republic City right now.

As much as Korra may have wished she could've had a nice quiet walk back into town, she had to admit that she was still rather flattered to see so many people out here welcoming her back. She wasn't sure she'd ever really get used to receiving this sort of treatment from people, not completely. Not that she disliked it – she loved it! It was a great confidence booster. It was just that sometimes she kind of forgot how much people actually looked up to and respected her, especially given her track record with public approval in the past. She supposed that taking down Kuvira and that Colossus of hers had earned her a lot of good will over these past couple of months, regardless of how well she had or hadn't been able to protect the city in the process. Given what she was thrown up against, nobody could really blame her – all of that was placed squarely upon Kuvira herself.

As they drew ever closer, it'd become clear that the city had prepared for their arrival in advance, a path roughly the width of the pier being carved into the crowd by velvet ropes, effectively cleaving it into two with four Metalbending Officers stationed at both ends – two by the docks and two by the end of the crowd, helping out with crowd control and ensuring the Avatar's and the CEO's safety. Furthermore, they could see that a stage and a podium had already been set up beforehand at the end of the path that'd been prepared for them, as though they were fully expecting a press conference out of the two of them regardless of whether they had specifically called for one or not. It seemed as though the city was pulling out all of the stops today and making this as real of an event as possible.

But that wasn't all – there was already somebody else standing right there in the middle of the path, another two Metalbending Officers standing at attention by their side, waiting for the two of them to arrive. And, once Korra recognized who they were, suddenly, everything made sense. Bringing Naga to a stop in front of them, Korra's smile and tone became somewhat more awkward as she addressed the one most likely behind this little stunt today.

"Oh, President Raiko, I didn't expect to see you here... or this crowd, for that matter. Was this all your idea?" She asked, trying not to sound _too_ displeased or accusatory. She may not have been as frustrated by the thought of a far less private return than she'd initially planned as she was back on the ship, but she was still somewhat lamenting what could have been.

"Avatar Korra, Ms. Sato, it's good to have you two back in Republic City. I hope I wasn't being too presumptuous here, I figured that the two of you would like to get a press conference going right away and formally announce your return." The President opened with a smile, his hands folded behind his back as cameras continued to go off all around them, capturing the meeting between three of Republic City's top individuals. Sensing their confusion, however, Raiko went on to elaborate a bit further, hoping that a little bit more context might help clear things up and explain his position.

"To be perfectly honest with you two, things have been fairly unstable in Republic City lately, so as soon as the news got leaked about you two returning this afternoon, people immediately began to talk. Between the after effects of Kuvira's attack, the rebuilding of the city, the mounting threat of the Triads and all the other crazy stuff going on these days, the people could really use a little pomp and circumstance right about now. And what better to help breathe a little hope back into the populace than the return of their Avatar and the head of the company that has helped shape their city more than any other?" Well, taken in that context, things began to make a bit more sense.

Korra and Asami turned to each other and gave the other a somewhat concerned look. They supposed he had a point. If things actually were that bad, then maybe their return really was a pretty big deal. To be perfectly honest, neither of them had really thought of it like that before. Maybe things were in a worse off state than they'd initially assumed. "Well, I guess you're right." Korra conceded, turning back to the elected leader of the United Republic. "I didn't know things were so unstable right now, I was kind of hoping that with Kuvira out of the picture you guys would be able to handle the rest." She explained.

"Well, we're managing, I suppose, but recovery will take time." The President replied. "In the meantime, however, a proper welcome back celebration and quick round of Q&A with the press is sure to help boost morale." Korra nodded. President Raiko then smiled and turned around, walking on ahead of them and leading Naga and the girls the rest of the way down the pier and through the crowd, the three young ladies stopping to the right side of the platform stage as Raiko took to the podium first to get things started, tapping the microphone in the center, making sure that it was on and everything was in order.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Republic City, I am pleased to announce that the head of Future Industries, Ms. Asami Sato, and our Avatar, Korra, have officially returned!" Raiko introduced, the crowd gathered around them immediately going into even more of a frenzy than they were before, their cheering growing ever louder as the two ladies waved from atop Naga's back, still standing to the side of the stage while the President spoke. "It has been a long and trying two months since the two of them left for an admittedly well deserved vacation, but now they are back to help guide our fair city to ever-greater heights! Today is a day of celebration for both what these two remarkable women have done to help protect our city from Kuvira's wrath, and for their safe return to our nation's sparkling cerulean shores. But, you're not here to listen to me today. Without any further ado..."

As the crowd openly celebrated their return, the two girls finally got down from off of Naga's back, Korra hopping down first, scratching her pet behind her ears and eliciting a rather pleased look from the large polar bear dog, her tail wagging as Korra smiled. She then raised her right arm in order to help Asami down next, gently taking hold of her hand as she hopped down and followed her partner onto the stage. After a brief discussion, it was decided between the two of them that Korra would be the one to take to the podium first, shaking the hand of the President as he stepped aside and Korra took his place. As he took a position standing to her right, Asami kept close to her new fiancee's left, the young Avatar taking a deep breath and readjusting herself to talking to such a large crowd.

"Heh, and here I was hoping for a more discreet return, I can't say I was really expecting to be holding a press conference today. But it's good to be back in Republic City – it's been far too long. Let's get this show on the road!" She opened, once again pounding her fist into her hand as a show of confidence, not that her self-assured grin didn't already make it rather clear. Unsurprisingly, the press was quick to oblige, immediately firing off a steady stream of questions in her direction.

"Avatar Korra! Is it true that you've spent the last two months in the Spirit World?"

"Is it true that you'll be taking part in Kuvira's trial?"

"Do you have any plans to help out with the reconstruction of Republic City?"

"Are you going to be doing anything about the recent rise in Triad activity?"

"Why did you choose to disembark with Future Industries' Ms. Sato alone? Are the rumors true that you two have become more than 'just friends'?"

Wow, that last one sure was to the point, prompting the President to raise an eyebrow as he glanced over at the two of them. Could they...? Nah. Unsurprisingly however, the local papers had already long since been circulating rumors about the exact relationship of the two girls, ever since it was found out that she and Asami had set out alone – just the two of them. Well then. Korra would get to that one when she got to it. Right now, the other four seemed much more important. More questions kept flooding in, but most of them were simply variations on those five and the rest weren't even worth acknowledging – she'd already made up her mind as to what she'd be willing to answer and how she was going to answer it right before she'd stepped off that boat.

"Well, to begin, yes, I _will_ be taking part in Kuvira's trial. I've been giving it some thought lately, and there are a few things I would like to say and propose that I'll be announcing at a later date. And yes, I also plan to help out with the reconstruction of the city provided I don't have anything else to take care of, maybe help speed things along a little bit while I still have the chance. As for the Triads, I'm not sure – I haven't exactly been tuned in to the times from the Spirit World, so this is honestly the first I'm hearing of it. But, I will be happy to help the police in any way I can and try and help bring things under control if asked." Korra opened, addressing what she deemed to be the most pertinent questions first and foremost. She figured a lot of people probably wanted to know where she'd been these last few months for sure, but since that kind of tied in with the last question, she figured that she'd save it for last as well.

"As for where I've been these past couple of months, yes, I _have_ been vacationing in the Spirit World. After everything that's happened to me these past three years, I felt like I just really needed a break, and Asami was feeling the same way. So, the two of us decided to just go for it while we had the chance and snuck away after letting a couple of people know where we were going. I told my parents and Tenzin, so that he could relay the news to you guys, while Asami told her next-in-command at Future Industries so that he could take over for a while in her stead. But I think I'll let her explain that for herself." She concluded, not wanting to go into things much more than that in fear of completely derailing the event with the confirmation or denial of completely true rumors of romance. The moment that either of them addressed that would be the moment that it became all that this thing would be about.

Stepping away from the podium regardless of whether or not any follow up questions were asked of her, Korra then let her new fiancee take over, a fresh array of questions being asked as the gathered press took note of the change in speaker.

"Ms. Sato! Will Ravi be maintaining control of Future Industries for the remainder of the city expansion and reconstruction plan?"

"Is it true that Varrick Global Industries and Future Industries are in talks to merge again?"

"Will you be overseeing the creation of a new city park, or will you be restoring Avatar Korra Park, now located near the new Spirit Portal?"

"Do you have any plans to move forward with Spirit Energy technology?"

"Why did you leave Republic City when it was most in need of your company's help?"

That last question made Korra wince. She was afraid that somebody was going to ask something like that, but the smile on Asami's face never wavered, not even for a second. Apparently, she had fully expected it. Like she'd said before, she knew how to handle the press. She'd done quite a bit of that back when she was helping to renovate the city the first time, building around the Spirit Vines and incorporating them into the city as opposed to outright removing them, so she had a pretty good idea of what to expect. Their past treatment of Korra had acted as a pretty good indicator, as well.

"What's important is that Future Industries never left Republic City and continued to help it expand and rebuild, regardless of whether or not I was here to personally direct that. While I went and took a well-deserved vacation with my friend, I was sure to put my best man in charge in order to hold down the fort and carry on mine and my company's vision in my stead, ensuring that our philosophy of harmoniously blending nature with technology was applied to everything that we did. But no, Ravi will not be maintaining control of Future Industries and I will be taking back full control by the end of the week – much to his relief, I'm sure." She replied, laughing slightly with her last remark. He always did prefer the role of worker to leader, even if he was rather good at both.

"With all that being said, I can assure you that no, there will _not_ be any merging with Varrick Global Industries, nor will we be looking into Spirit Energy technology anytime soon. I think after Kuvira's misappropriation of Spirit Energy showing us the potential dangers of its misuse and weaponization, it may be a better idea to leave the power of the spirits _to_ the spirits. However, I would be delighted to help design a new city park _and_ to see Avatar Korra Park returned to its former glory. I'm sure that it'll make for a wonderful place to observe the Spirit Portal in the future." And that took care of that. Or, it would have, if it weren't for one particularly observant reporter near the front launching the question that brought pretty much everything else to a screeching halt just as soon as Asami had finished.

"Is that a Water Tribe betrothal necklace around your neck?" Well. Crap.

"Uh..." The previously professional and composed Asami simply stood there, blindsided by the completely correct insinuation of the question being directed at her, prompting yet another raised eyebrow from the President and a completely petrified look from her fiancee. She'd expected one or two questions about the nature of hers and Korra's relationship after two months of being alone together, but that was a _bit_ more direct of a question than she'd prepared herself to answer. She actually had no response for that one. In retrospect, she probably should've thought to take that thing off before she got off the ship. "...Um..." Yeah, this certainly could've gone better. Looked like Korra would have to be the one to think of something now, and quick.

"No comment. Anyway, we actually have some _really_ important stuff we need to go do right now, so yeah, it was nice seeing everybody out here but we've really gotta go! Asami, come on!" Korra leaned in and hurriedly interrupted, taking Asami by the arm and swiftly pulling the green-eyed girl with her off the stage as she ran away, clearly trying to draw things to a close as quickly as possible. This probably didn't look much better than directly answering the question, but she also knew that if she didn't leave now, they'd _never_ let her go, not with a story like that to sink their teeth into – and she and Asami really did have things they needed to be doing right now. There was no time to waste, they had to go _now_!

Hopping back up onto Naga's back with the engineer in tow, with a light kick, the urgency of the situation was relayed to the polar bear dog and she and her riders dashed off into the streets beyond the stage as the crowd behind them went into an uproar over the implications, the President kind of just standing there in shock, momentarily reaching out to stop them before stopping himself and actually thinking about what the hell had just happened. Shaking his head, he turned his attention to the crowd and returned to the podium. Seemed as though it fell on him to draw things to a more, uh, 'formal' close. How do you even recover from something like that...?

Meanwhile, all that Korra and Asami could do was laugh at the absurdity of the situation as they galloped away through the city streets on Naga's back, catching the eye of many a confused onlooker as they ran like their lives depended on it while laughing up a storm. It was bad enough that they were completely blindsided like that, but the way that Korra had responded to it was effing _priceless_. That was absolutely terrible in the best, most hilarious way imaginable to both of them. "Well, that certainly could've gone better." Korra struggled to get out between their laughter, almost doubled over on Naga's back, Asami once again hanging on to her waist for support whilst caught in a similar position.

"You think?" Asami replied, tears forming in her eyes as she laughed so hard it actually started to hurt. "I guess that answers that then, huh?" She rhetorically inquired. Yeeeeah, so much for not addressing _that_, huh?

"Man, they sure are gonna to have a field day with this one." Korra continued, wiping her eyes dry as her laughter finally began to subside. "Ah well, at least we don't have to go out and awkwardly confirm it now, or surprise them all with some random-ass wedding." She joked.

"Tell me about it, I was actually wondering how or if we were going to put this out there, or if we were just let them figure it out for themselves. But this. This was better than anything I could've imagined. I freaking _love_ you." Korra may have been able to control her laughing a bit more, but Asami was still going strong. This whole thing was simply incredible to her. Finally, after another good 30 seconds of laughter, she began calming down, at least for the most part, letting out a contented sigh and just limply laying her body onto Korra's as she continued to hang onto her, smiling. By far, that was the best press conference she'd ever had the honor of taking part in.

"So, considering Naga and I are your drivers right now... where to next, Ms. Sato?" Korra asked, a knowing grin on her face. Asami couldn't help but laugh just a little bit more at that one, wiping the last of the tears from her eyes as she responded.

"I guess now we go take care of what we said we were going to take care of. Just take me to the new Northern District, my people told me that the new Future Industries Tower was relocated there when I asked about it the other night. While I get settled in and check up on things there, you can go see Tenzin and collect your things from Air Temple Island. Might as well tell him about us, as well, since he's just going to be finding out about it one way or another now anyway." Asami chuckled. Korra just shook her head. She couldn't believe she'd actually just done that; tomorrow's paper was certainly going to be an interesting one.

"Of course, Ms. Sato, as you wish." She replied, directing Naga where to go and charging full speed ahead in the specified direction. Next stop: Future Industries Tower!

* * *

><p>"Aw man, I can't believe this. Korra and Asami <em>finally<em> come back to Republic City, and instead of going out and welcoming them home, Lin has us stuck in an office all day? Why couldn't she send _us_ to the harbor to handle security?" Bolin complained, a mixed look of boredom and frustration slumped across his face as he leaned with his elbow on the side of Mako's desk opposite his brother's, resting his head in one hand as he toyed with a pencil with the other.

"Because we're detectives, Bolin, not elite Metalbending Officers specifically trained to secure and police major public events. Or at least, I am. I guess you'd be more of a detective-in-training." Mako half-jokingly replied, going over the notes on their current case for the third time today and scribbling yet more into the file as ideas and connections flitted into his head. Everybody in the department had their job to do, and right now, theirs was to follow up on the second victim in the so-called "Mummy Maker" case and see if they couldn't deduce its identity, just as they had with the first one.

Unfortunately, so far as they could tell, this one wasn't a Lightningbending Triad enforcer, and this time, there were no witnesses to come forward, so they had nothing to go off of but the body, which seemed to be lacking any inconspicuous burns or identifying marks aside from the same distorted hand print it shared with Kazuo, centered on its face. Also like the last one, this body not only had all of its fluids drained, but all of its chi was missing, too, reducing the corpse to little more than an empty, shriveled up husk. Even with Dr. Lou's rehydration procedure, the face wasn't one that Mako immediately recognized, and without even knowing if they were a bender or not, it wasn't looking good for tracking them down. The best they could do now was try and come up with a sketch based on the semi-revitalized face and distribute it around town, hoping somebody would come forward with some information.

"Yeah, a detective-in-training who got us almost every single lead on the case so far. Besides, didn't she want us to loop Korra into the investigation, anyway? How are we supposed to do that from behind a boring-old desk?" Bolin reminded, no longer fiddling with the pencil from before, his eyes now completely focused on his brother.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, super cop." Mako teased right back, putting down his pen and taking a break from all the note taking for now. He'd come at this every which way to Sunday, he really didn't know what else to do at this point. He was already confident that their suspect wasn't human, so he didn't think there'd be anything more gleamed from in here. Maybe he'd swing by the crime scene again later on, see if he could find anything where the body was found that maybe the earlier detectives had missed.

For somebody who was so adamant about bringing Korra into things "as soon as she stepped off the boat", he had to admit that he did find it a little odd that Lin wouldn't make an exception and send them out there to meet Korra face-to-face like she'd originally wanted. Then again, he'd also heard that President Raiko himself had intervened and blown the whole event out of proportion, so maybe that had something to do with it. She probably expected that the two of them wouldn't get the chance to talk to her so long as he was involved and turning the whole thing into some big publicity stunt for the city and decided to have them figure out anything they could about their second victim, instead. It made sense, he supposed.

"Anyway, I'm sure that Korra will be at Air Temple Island like she usually is, so don't worry about it. We can go and see her when our shift is over and see if we can't get her in the loop like the Chief asked us to then." He stated simply. However, for Bolin, this left something of a bitter taste in his mouth. He didn't really like the idea of dragging her right back into some big mess _right_ after she got back from vacation. He was always intending on trying to spend at least one day of fun with his friends before getting back down to business.

"I dunno, don't you think we should let her off the hook for today? I mean, she just got back–" Once again, Mako cut his brother off, something he seemed to be doing a lot of lately. Then again, he also seemed to be pretty frustrated a lot lately, too.

"No. This thing has killed 2 people in 3 days and we have no idea when it's going to strike again. If Korra isn't ready to get back into things, then she shouldn't be coming back at all." Mako spat back. Ouch, that was kind of harsh. Yet again, Mako subconsciously grabbed his left arm, feeling that familiar burning, tingling sensation where his scar was again. He seemed to be feeling it a lot lately. Bolin's look immediately shifted to one to concern, but before he could open his mouth say anything, he found his intentions interrupted by a rather unexpected visitor as Varrick lurched in through the doorway, immediately drawing the attention of the two bending brothers.

"Aha! Bolin! There you are! I'd almost given up looking for you! I figured I'd just go invite Lin next and then see if I couldn't get back to you later, but lo and behold, you're sitting here in the very station I helped build for her! What's the matter, bailing your brother out of jail again?" Varrick asked, leaning in and semi-whispering into Bolin's ear with his last remark, prompting an eyebrow twitch from the Firebender in question. Great, just what he needed. His arm felt like it was on fire.

"I'm right here, you know. In a police uniform. As a detective. _Working on a case_." Mako reminded, not that Varrick seemed to be paying him any attention. Why was he not surprised? Well, there was no point engaging him and having an aneurysm, he appeared to be here for Bolin and the Chief alone. Might as well just leave him to it and think about how they were going to hunt whoever or whatever was doing this down.

"Oh, I actually work here now!" Bolin exuberantly replied, though perhaps not quite as exuberantly as Varrick seemed to act almost 24/7. What was he always so excited about, anyway? "My brother and I are partners now, and we've actually been working this really creepy case lately, it's crazy. Anyway, what's up?" He asked.

"No kidding? Good for you! I always knew you were destined for great things – Nuktuk was always just the beginning! Which is actually kind of why I'm here today! I'm sure you've heard about that Ryuuki Ayasusushi-or-whatever guy by now, right? As it happens, I've got some sweet VIP balcony seats for the premiere of that new mover of his, "The Dancing Dragons", so I've been inviting all of Republic City's toppest of top brass and some good friends to come along! And I _know_ how much you love movers." The look on Bolin's face was like that of a child experiencing Christmas for the first time, coming down in the morning to a glimmering tree with a dozen gifts carefully wrapped and waiting for them below. Did Varrick even have to ask?

"Are you kidding me? Of COURSE I'm in! Do you know how long it's been since I've been to a mover premiere!?" Oh, Mako knew this one!

"Since he got me arrested." Oh. Right. Well, that was a little awkward.

"Bah! Bygones! I'm a changed man, and I've put the past behind me! Personally, I think you could stand to do the same, Mako. In fact, why don't you come along too? I've also had it arranged so that Korra and Asami are invited as well. It can be just like old times!" What kind of "old times" was Varrick talking about exactly? While Mako remained suspicious, Bolin just grew even more excited.

"Ah, that's a great idea! Come on Mako, what do you say!?" The young rookie asked.

"What? No, I hate movers, you know that. Why are you inviting _me_?" Varrick and Bolin gasped. Did he seriously just say that!?

"Mako, watch your language! We don't talk that way about movers here, this is an H-word free zone!" His little brother shouted, prompting yet another facepalm from the Firebending detective – another thing he'd been doing a lot of lately. Why did everything in his life just constantly have to conspire to make him miserable?

"What's with all this racket out here!?" Oh, great, now the Chief was involved, too. From out of nowhere, the door to Lin's office swung open, a clearly pissed off chief of police stepping half way out of her office, standing in her doorway to hold her door open and looking around the room only to find that Varrick had invited himself in again. Wonderful, just what she needed right now. Since when did _he_ willingly walk into offices of law enforcement, anyway?

"Lin, there you are! Perfect! I was_ just _about to come in and invite you, too! I've got some great seats for the premiere of "The Dancing Dragons" tomorrow night, and all of Republic City's big shots are going to be there! You want in? You look like a hard working woman who could use break." Flattery wasn't going to get you anywhere, Varrick.

"Oh, that thing. I'm already going, though not to just sit on my ass and relax like you are. _Somebody's_ got to handle security, and given how big this thing's going to be, I've been assigned to handle it personally." She explained.

"Oh, well that was easy! Sweet!" Varrick exclaimed. Victory? "Now all I have to do is hope Korra and Asami get my message and we can get this show on the road! Just consider it both a chance to relax _and_ a way to formally celebrate those two's return and welcome them back to Republic City in style. VIP treatment, here we come!" He shouted, his left arm raised, index finger pointing to the heavens. Watching Varrick talk was like watching a cat on nip, it was as hilarious as it was completely unpredictable.

"Whatever." Mako huffed. "You guys have fun, _I'm_ going to get some work done. I have a killer to catch." Well, somebody sure had a one-track mind.

"Not so fast, Mako," Lin interjected, catching the Firebender by surprise. "I could use a guy like you with me out there, you've got good eyes. Besides, that killer of yours still on the loose. Until this case is put to bed, I can use all the talented benders I can get my hands on to help make sure this place is locked down tight and our body count doesn't end up dramatically increasing overnight." Well, orders were orders. There really wasn't any getting out of it now, was there?

"Fine! Whatever! I'll go! Geez." Mako complained. "It's going to be held at the Pro Bending Arena, right? It's been a while since I've been there, but I still know that place like the back of my hand. I'll make sure we get everything covered." He reassured, Lin giving a simple nod in reply. Sounded like a plan to her.

"Yes! Oh man, this is going to be the greatest night _ever_!" Bolin exclaimed, pulling the three of them – Mako, Lin and Varrick – into a rather uncomfortable group hug, Mako shoving the billionaire inventor off of him as he tried to wiggle his way out of it. Sometimes he couldn't help but question his choice in company, especially over these last couple of months. Bolin had already picked up on it a little bit, but... something was seriously eating at his big bro, and it seemed like cracks were starting to show. But Mako wasn't talking. All Bolin could do now was hope that maybe Korra and Asami's return and a night out on the town – working or not – would help smooth things over and get him to relax a little bit.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, on the Northern end of town, while Varrick pestered the police, Asami made her way down the halls of the new Future Industries Tower, visibly taken aback at just how nice her new corporate headquarters actually looked. Ravi really went all out with this place, didn't he?<p>

While it remained a reflection of the original in regards to its floor plan, ensuring that everything was more-or-less where she remembered it being at the old location, its overall design had been completely overhauled and modernized and made to look _much_ more pleasing to the eye. Metal sculptures now decorated the entrance lobby and the halls alongside an abundance of potted trees and hanging plants interspersed between, which when combined with the sculpted columns reminiscent of Spirit Vines and the lush, green ivy clutched to the sides of the 2nd floor balcony, made the place seem a dozen times more alive than the original building ever was.

The lobby and the halls were built out of granite, marble and sandstone and crystals acted as the primary means of illumination, which combined with all of the plant life gave the building a very natural look and feel. There was even a large fountain added outside and what looked to be four waterfalls on the inside, emptying into small pools in which a variety of small fish could be seen swimming, the water pouring down in front of sculpted murals somewhat abstractly depicting what looked to be spirits and machines. Even the air was crisp and fresh, as though she were standing outside in a wide open field or a dense, oxygen-rich forest. It looked less like the lobby of a factory or an office building and more like a work of art in its own right. Talk about putting your best face forward.

"Wow. Maybe I should let Ravi handle more of the city after all." Asami thought aloud, marveling at her new place of business. Did the whole building look like this, or was it just the important bits that the public got to see, like the lobby and the halls? Knowing Ravi, he'd gone all out with the whole building, but either way, she could get used to working in a place like this. It was better than she ever could've imagined. Making her way to the central elevator and stepping through its large brass doors, she followed the directions that her employees had given her and pushed the button for the 42nd floor, which was currently the topmost completed floor of the building as well as the location of her new office, at least for now. She could always opt to move it to a lower or higher floor later on, but she wasn't sure if she really wanted it to be much higher than that. It was a pretty long elevator ride last time around, one she could stand to do without.

Though the building was still incomplete and only about half of its intended height, she remained absolutely amazed at how much they'd actually managed to get done in such a short amount of time. They must've started work on this place literally the day after she'd left. Then again, when you have a veritable army of Earth and Metalbenders at your disposal by way of Republic City, Zaofu and volunteers from neighboring states, maybe it was to be expected. Which just made one wonder, if they'd gotten this much done in only a couple of months, and construction was planned to go on for another year and a half at least, just how much bigger was this new and improved Republic City actually going to be?

Then again, special emphasis was probably put on the construction of this tower, along with the new Police Station and City Hall that she'd heard about. They were some pretty major landmarks, after all, as well as the respective headquarters of three of the city's most important driving forces, so maybe she just got lucky. Arriving at her specified floor more quickly than she'd expected, Asami noted that the new elevators were at least twice as fast as the old ones. Maybe having things rebuilt and updated wasn't so bad after all. I mean, the place certainly looked nicer, felt nicer and now it was a lot quicker to navigate, too. She honestly had no complaints.

Entering into another granite and marble hall, Asami found the elevator letting out directly in front of the door to her new office, which currently bore the nameplate of her childhood friend and the interim Chief Executive Officer of the company, Ravi. Convenient placement. Walking forward, she opened the door and found herself in another, smaller lobby, her and Ravi's receptionist, Wei, sitting at a desk to the right. "Oh, Ms. Sato, you're here! Welcome back! Mr. Ravi has been expecting you." He greeted, getting up from his desk and shaking the young woman's hand. She smiled, greeting him in return, receiving the go ahead to enter Ravi's office. She wanted to make sure he wasn't in any meetings or anything before she walked in, just in case.

Walking through the door as permitted, the tall, dark-skinned man looked up from his papers and smiled the most genuine smile he'd been able to muster in days, immediately standing up from his desk and approaching his old friend, welcoming her back with a hug. "It's good to have you back, Asami. This place hasn't really been the same without you. I've been trying to keep everything on track, just like you asked. I hope you like your new tower." He began as he broke away, walking over to a small counter against the right wall of the room in order to pour the two of them a fresh cup of tea.

"More than that, I love it. I'm assuming you designed it yourself?" She inquired, receiving a simple nod in response. She'd thought as much, this whole place had Ravi's particular taste in art and architecture written all over it. A good thing, considering he was one hell of an artist and had a keen eye for design. One of his more understated talents, she supposed. "I saw a lot of the new buildings and construction areas on my way down here, as well as what's been put together of the expanded Northern District so far. You sure seem to have been keeping busy." The young businesswoman continued, thanking the redheaded man for the tea.

"As have you, from the looks of things. I like your new necklace." He noted, taking a sip of his tea with a knowing grin that almost caused Asami to choke on hers. That was the second time today somebody had mentioned her betrothal necklace. Well, at least this time wasn't so much awkward and unwanted as it was just unexpected. "I had a feeling there was a bit more to your vacation than just a little R&R. I'm happy for you." He nodded, receiving a simple smile in return.

"Thank you. Nice as they've been, these past two months have been pretty crazy for me, too. Just, not in a stressful way. I do not envy your position and I absolutely dread reclaiming it." She mock groaned, prompting the man to laugh.

"Sorry, but them's the brakes – this was never meant to be permanent. Quite frankly, I can't wait to get back out there and start building with the rest of your men, or to get back to working in and managing the factory. All in good time, I suppose." Right, Asami _was_ sorry for sticking him behind a desk for so long like that. He was a great manager, but his heart was always that of a worker's, ever since she'd first met him. He was strong, dedicated, always self-motivated. He preferred to go out and get things done with his own two hands than to sit back and give orders from afar. Though his primary job in the company was managing the main factory, like he'd mentioned, he was a very hands-on manager and spent the least possible amount of time in his office, something he couldn't really afford to do as CEO. He'd probably been itching to get out from behind that desk for weeks now, it almost seemed cruel in retrospect.

"Right, I'm sorry about asking so much of you and keeping you up here these past two months. I really wasn't planning to be gone as long as I was, but Korra and I kind of lost track of time." Ravi laughed, trying not to think too hard about the circumstances surrounding this 'lost time' of theirs. But, so long as she got the break she needed, that was all that mattered.

"Don't worry about it. It's been an adjustment, but I think I've handled things well enough. Just, try not to make these 2 month vacations a habit in the future." This time Asami laughed, still feeling a little guilty.

"Noted. Well, I'm ready to jump back behind the desk whenever. I've got a lot of catching up to do." She explained, her interim chief nodding in return.

"I took the liberty of taking notes on all of our major projects these last couple of months. Feel free to go over them if you'd like, they should help catch you up in no time." How considerate. Seemed he'd been preparing for her return from the moment he took the reigns. Once again, she thanked her old friend.

"That should help a lot, thank you." She said, taking another sip of tea as Ravi fell silent for a moment, going over things in his head and trying to remember if there was anything else he wanted to... oh, right!

"Oh, right, I almost forgot," He spoke up, catching Asami's attention. "Varrick visited me yesterday afternoon and invited me to the premiere of a new mover, "The Dancing Dragons". When he heard that you and Korra were returning, he asked me to extend the invitation over to you two, as well, if you're interested. I believe the premiere is tomorrow night?" Varrick? So he'd been helping to rebuild the city too, huh? Asami had kind of assumed that guy would still be on his honeymoon. Maybe her and Korra's two month vacation was a bit more unusual she'd initially thought, no wonder people had been talking.

"Sure, a mover premiere sounds pretty great, actually. I'm sure Korra would love to come, too. I'm planning to meet her at Air Temple Island once I've settled back in here, so I'll let her know when I see her." She replied. She always did like movers. She wouldn't say she was as big of a fan as, say, Bolin, but she definitely enjoyed seeing them whenever possible and had kept something of an eye on the industry since it started. Back when she was helping expand and renovate the city the first time, while Korra was still in the South Pole recuperating, attending mover premieres had become one of her favorite weekend activities. It was a great way to just let the stress melt away and lose yourself in something of another life for a little while, and it had helped her through some pretty rough days in the past. It was one of those leisurely activities she was looking forward to sharing with Korra in the future. If she wasn't a mover fan already, Asami would make one out of her yet.

"Right. Well, if you need me, I'll be up top with the rest of the workers helping to get this place finished. I'm pretty eager to see how my new Metalbending abilities measure up in practice." Ravi mentioned, rising from his seat and placing his empty teacup back on the counter.

"Oh? You can Metalbend now? That's great! I know you've always been interested in learning, but you never did find the time for it." Ravi nodded. He'd always wanted to be a Metalbender – it was a fairly practical skill for an Earthbending factory worker to have, after all – but the timing just never seemed right. In the past, most of the Metalbenders in Republic City were cops, and the only place he knew of that freely taught the art to anybody who was interested was Zaofu, so he'd have had to travel quite some distance in order to pursue his dream. Having talented benders from Zaofu come to Republic City, instead, however, solved the problem and finally gave him the chance he'd been waiting for.

"One of the Metalbenders from Zaofu that's been helping out around here volunteered to teach me. I think I've got a pretty decent grasp of it by now, but I won't know for sure until I try." Asami smiled, rising from her seat and momentarily placing her teacup on the table in order to give her friend a congratulatory hug.

"Congratulations, I'm really happy for you." She smiled, the tall, redheaded man smiling back in return. "Anyway, I think I've kept you here long enough, I know you're dying to get back out there. Good luck." Ravi nodded, turning around and loosely raising his right arm as if he were about to wave goodbye as he walked toward the door.

"Ditto." He replied simply, exiting the room and making his way to the construction zones on floors above.

Now alone in her new office, Asami finished her tea, placing the empty cup back onto the counter alongside Ravi's and walking over to the large window set into the wall behind her desk, briefly overlooking the city below. She'd missed this place a lot more than she'd thought. Soaking in the sight of the city unfurled beneath her tower, she felt as though she were on top of the world, as though she could do anything.

Turning back to her new desk, she took a seat and looked over the papers scattered across its surface, taking note of all of the personal effects Ravi had left behind that she'd have to have to returned to him later on. An extra pair of reading glasses, a metallic meteorite fragment, a few old pictures... but one thing in particular caught her eye, her attention quickly being drawn the elegantly framed photograph that he'd elected to keep in plain view near the right hand corner of his desk. Given its positioning and the papers pushed away from it, it seemed to be something he'd picked up and looked at quite a bit over these past couple of months. She smiled. She'd forgotten about this. It brought back a lot of fond memories for her.

The picture within the frame appeared to depict a fairly young Asami – easily no more than 8 or 9 years old at the time, from the looks of things – happily climbing over the seat a brand new, fresh-off-the-line Satomobile with her father standing outside, his hand resting on its hood and a solemn smile on his face, a young, dark-skinned teenage boy of about 16 or 17 smiling and leaning over the seat directly next to her. Ravi... he was an orphan, but a great worker and skilled machinist, intuitive and entirely self-taught. Her father had recognized his talents almost immediately and hired him on the spot, giving him a place to stay in a room above one of their factories and a steady source of income for the first time in his life, initially unaware of his abilities as a bender.

She'd practically grown up in her father's factories and had fond memories of exploring them, climbing on machines and watching Satomobiles get put together piece by piece, spending a lot of time at Ravi's and her father's sides, occasionally being saved by them from messes she'd created. As the both of them got older and she went on to study more seriously with her father, however, she saw Ravi less and less, but their friendship remained no less strong than it'd always been. Knowing what she knew now about her father from that point in time, she wondered if maybe he'd subtly been trying to keep her away from Ravi on purpose, due to his discovery of him being a bender.

When her father had later openly sided with the Equalists and was subsequently taken to prison, she made sure that one of the first things that she did after taking over the company was to put Ravi into an even greater position of power, one she felt as though he deserved. She was the one who ultimately put Ravi in charge of their main factory, keeping him as her right-hand man and allowing him to work wherever he pleased within the company. So, when she and Korra had decided to go on that vacation a couple months back, naturally, she knew exactly who to call on and put in charge while she was away. And as she'd expected, he had performed wonderfully.

But, now her vacation was over, and _she_ was the one back behind the desk, personally directing Republic City's expansion and reconstruction. Checking the clock hanging above the door, there was still another good 60 or so minutes until 6PM, her and Korra's planned meeting time at Air Temple Island. Until then, she figured she might as well look over those notes that Ravi had left for her. Like she'd said before, she had a _lot_ of catching up to do.

* * *

><p>Air Temple Island... even though it'd only been a couple of months, it felt as though it'd been a lifetime since Korra was last here. So much had changed in such a short amount of time that she'd almost completely lost track of it. But it was good to be back. This place had always felt like home to her, ever since the day she'd first arrived in Republic City almost 4 years ago. She almost felt sad leaving it behind, but there were bigger and better things waiting for her back in the city, with Asami – she couldn't stay here forever. The time had finally come for this Avatar to leave the proverbial nest.<p>

As her boat pulled up the stone dock at the edge of the island, she thanked its captain once again for giving her a ride, the old man at the wheel shaking his head and indicating that it was no problem, and that he was honored to be able to help out the Avatar, even if it was only with a ride from the city. Once again finding herself lacking any money, she'd had to rely on the kindness of strangers to get her where she needed to go, something she'd ended up needing a lot of today – the city had changed so much over the last two months, she'd actually managed to get herself lost in trying to navigate her way from the Northern District to the Eastern Harbor. Twice.

But, between all of the closed off roads and damaged landmarks, it actually would've been more surprising if she _hadn't_ gotten lost at some point. She was starting to think that maybe she should've borrowed some money from Asami before she dropped her off, it would've been much more convenient to just hitch a ride in a cab or something. Though, that wouldn't really have helped much with Naga to take into consideration, as well... maybe she was just doomed from the start. Good thing she had a thankful populace on her side more than willing to help her out for taking down that giant metal monstrosity a few months back, huh? She just had to make sure she didn't go abusing all of that good will. _Too much_, anyway.

Stepping off of the boat from atop Naga's back, Korra waved goodbye to the elderly fisherman as her pet scarfed down the last of the fish that he had given her, a nearby Air Acolyte immediately recognizing who she was and running to announce her return, catching the attention of just about everybody in the immediate area. She shook her head, smiling. This was just going to be her new norm now, wasn't it? Ah well, she couldn't say she didn't like it. "KORRA'S BACK!" Came the cry, a young boy swooping down from above in a glider suit, soon joined by his two older sisters. Seemed that the first to respond to the Acolyte's calls were the Airbender Kids – Jinora, Ikki and Meelo – who had been training only a couple dozen feet away, the three of them tackling her with a hug almost as soon as she'd hopped off Naga's back, catching the young Avatar off guard.

"So, how was the Spirit World? Did you and Asami get lost? Is that why you were gone for two months five days three hours and seventeen minutes? Did you get to see Iroh again? Did you turn into a kid again? How was the fruit there? Does the Spirit World even have fruit? Why do I smell cinnamon?" Unsurprisingly, Ikki had begun excitedly firing off a multitude of questions before Korra had even regained her balance, causing the Water Tribe girl to laugh. Some things never changed, huh?

"I expected status reports, soldier! You disappoint me!" Meelo energetically huffed, only about half joking, by Korra's estimation. Seemed he was still in his little military commander kick, huh? Well, not every Airbender was destined to turn out a peaceful monk, she supposed, even _if_ Tenzin was their father. This was probably the closest thing to a "welcome back" she'd be getting out of him.

"Welcome back, Korra. We really missed you." The last of the three, Jinora, greeted simply, her tone and demeanor _much_ calmer than her younger brother's and sister's were. By far, she was the most mature of the three, a young girl with the mind of a sage and a breath of fresh air when compared to her siblings. Not that they didn't have their charms, but really, Ikki and Meelo could be more than a little tiring, _especially_ together. But that's why of the three, she was the only one who was considered a bona fide Airbending Master – tattoos and all.

"Thank you, Jinora, I really missed you guys too. And I'm sorry Meelo, I kind of got caught up in exploring, you know how it is. Besides, it's kind of hard to keep in touch with people from the spirit world. And to answer your questions, Ikki – amazing, a few times, not really, yes, once or twice, good, lots of it, reasons." Really? "Reasons"? That certainly wasn't much of an answer. As the three young Airbenders brought their hug to an end, Ikki opened her mouth to press the issue further only to have her father interrupt her as he came walking down the steps to the dock, a rather annoyed look stretched across his face, one that Korra remembered seeing a lot from Tenzin in the past. It was like she'd just thought to herself: some things never change.

"What's with all this racket? I was just about to–" Tenzin began to complain, stopping mid sentence upon seeing Korra, Naga and his kids laughing as they walked onto the shore, Korra giving the Airbending Master a hug hello.

"Guess who's back?" She greeted with a grin, the older gentleman responding with a warm smile.

"Korra, it's been a while. How have you been? How was the Spirit World?" He asked, holding the girl by her shoulders.

"Oh man, it was great, I had a lot of fun. It was really relaxing, too, I _really_ needed that. I think I'm going to make it a point to vacation there a bit more often in the future, it works wonders on stress." She replied. Then again, her traveling companion had certainly helped things, too.

"I dunno, the spirit world seems like it would be boring, there's no action! What did you even _do_ for two months? Meditate?" Meelo scoffed, causing Korra to laugh. It was a valid question, especially for somebody like him. Not that Korra couldn't relate, she loved to be where the action was, too. She'd just had more than enough action for a little while there was all.

"Oh, you know. Explored the Spirit World, befriended some spirits, ran from my life from some other spirits, lost at Pai Sho to Iroh, made out with Asami, got betrothed – the usual." ...Wait, what?

"I KNEW IT!" Ikki shouted, hopping a couple feet into the air and thrusting her fist above her head in celebration. She'd been _trying_ to tell them there was something else going on between Korra and Asami, but nobody believed her! But she knew. She _always_ knew. _Vindicated at last_. While Tenzin and Meelo shared a somewhat shocked expression at the revelation – Meelo more than his father – Jinora just shook her head. Ikki was never going to let her hear the end of this. She couldn't say that it really surprised her, but at the same time, she couldn't really say she'd have seen it coming, either.

"...Wow. That's... wow. I'm really happy for you. Congratulations." Tenzin replied, not really sure what else to say. Her and Asami was one thing, but _betrothed_? Well, he definitely didn't see that one coming.

"Yeah... that was kind of a thing that happened." Korra awkwardly replied while rubbing the back of her neck, a nervous smile on her face. "Can't be afraid to mix it up sometimes, right?" You know, thinking back on it, that phrase took on a whole different meaning now. Was that what Asami had been implying? She could've sworn she'd had said that to her a _couple_ of times in the past. Could she have been...? ...Nah. ...Well, maybe? How long HAD she kept that girl waiting, anyway? Maybe she had a little bit more than just three years to make up for...

"Well, I... guess it's not without precedent? There were always rumors about Avatar Kiyoshi, and there were a couple of monks back before the Hundred Year War..." Tenzin thought aloud. I mean, looking at it now, Korra and Asami made perfect sense together, but... how did he not see that coming? It seemed that Ikki was right all along. "Well, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you're happy. I'm really glad you've found somebody that you connect with so well. I mean, betrothal... that's a pretty big step. And so soon. Are you absolutely certain that this isn't a little premature?" He asked, hoping that his question wouldn't offend her. He just wanted to make sure that Korra understood what it was she was getting herself into – it'd only been a couple of months. But even still, she'd put more thought into this one decision than she had anything else in her entire life.

"Don't worry, it's not like we're running off and getting married tomorrow or anything like that, we're going to hold off for a little while and see how things go first. Life's going to be pretty hectic for the both of us these next couple of years, what with the expansion of the city and Kuvira's trial and the dissolution of the Earth Kingdom... but I... I think she's the one. So it's like a promise, you know? When we're both ready." She explained, smiling. A few years back, she might have gotten a little angry at a question like that, but she genuinely appreciated Tenzin's concern. As supportive as he was of her decision, her father had asked her the same thing when she'd told him, too. The two of them just wanted to make sure that she didn't rush headfirst into things like she used to and get herself hurt. This wasn't a decision to be made lightly.

Relatively speaking, it _had_ been a pretty short amount of time, but then at the same time, it also felt so much longer. To her, it almost felt like she and Asami had been together for years – since she opened the Spirit Portals, at least. That was when their friendship _really_ took off. Asami was one of those people she felt like she'd known her whole life and the only one she trusted completely. This just felt like the next natural step to her. She'd given it _a lot_ of thought over their vacation, and she knew that Asami had, too, even if she'd never really mentioned it. Hell, that poor girl had probably been thinking about it all those years that she was gone, too, even if it was in a more fantasy-based context. Looking back, it was pretty clear to Korra now that Asami had had feelings for her since before she'd left for the South Pole, at least. After everything that she'd been through and all of the time they'd spent together in the Spirit World, she was sure about this. They both were. Different people moved at different speeds, and this was hers and Asami's.

"Very well. I'm not here to judge, just to make sure that you've thought this through, and it seems like you have. I wish you two the best of luck going into the future." Tenzin replied. Korra nodded, thanking him for his support. He'd almost been like a second father to her, ever since she first appeared in Republic City. Sure, they kind of got off on the wrong foot at first, but... before long, he'd accepted her into his home and his family almost as though she were his own kid. There weren't enough words in the English language for her to adequately describe her gratitude for everything he'd done for her over these past four years, from letting her live here on the island, to training her in the art of Airbending, to offering her the support and spiritual guidance she'd needed to grow not only as the Avatar, but as a person.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt sad over the thought of leaving. This place had become like a home away from home for her in the truest sense. She knew that she'd always be welcome here, but... it wouldn't really be the same. So it was a little sad, but also exciting. Because what awaited her now, with Asami, was something completely different. Something she'd only ever dreamed of. And she couldn't wait.

"Where is Asami, anyway? I thought you two would have come back together." Tenzin asked, looking over Korra's shoulder to see if maybe she was behind her or Naga or still by the dock. But, she wasn't.

"Oh, we did, but I dropped her off at that new tower they're building in the Northern District, the one her company's headquartered in. She's going to be meeting up with me here herself in about a half an hour or so, say hello to everyone and catch up a bit before we go looking for Mako and Bolin." Korra explained. "I can't believe how big that place is already, Republic City sure works quick." She marveled.

"That's because we've been helping out a lot, too!" Ikki chimed in, a wide, proud smile on her face. "The Air Nation's been helping out a lot with construction and in the really bad neighborhoods. Zaofu has, too, and a lot of people from surrounding cities." She explained. There was a veritable army of workers and volunteers out there in the streets helping out with expansion and reconstruction, everybody was doing their part. But, that wasn't to say there weren't some pretty major obstacles...

"Indeed. It's been a group effort. We've had our fair share of problems, however. I just found out that the Triads have been interfering with some of our relief efforts in the poorer neighborhoods lately, where their hold is the strongest. We've been trying our hardest to work around them, but it's getting harder every day. I'm afraid that at this point, it may be only a matter of time before we're forced into a direct confrontation with them." Tenzin elaborated, a discouraged tone in his voice. Even he knew that things were quickly reaching a tipping point with regards to the Triads. If something didn't change soon, there's no telling what could happen.

"Wow. President Raiko told me things have been pretty bad with them lately, but I had no idea they were _that_ bad... do you think maybe I should step in and see if I can't help out in some way?" Korra asked. It _was_ one of her duties as the Avatar to maintain balance, after all, and as it stood, things within Republic City were quickly becoming very _im_balanced. If the police were struggling this much and the new Air Nation was being prevented from helping people, then maybe she should take a decidedly active stance against the recent crime wave and see if she could get Lin to let her help out in some way.

"You spoke with President Raiko?" Tenzin was a little surprised. Had she gone to see him, or was it the other way around? Raiko had mentioned asking Korra for help to him in the past, but he didn't expect him to go for it the instant she stepped back onto shore. That man was opportunistic in every way imaginable.

"Yeah, apparently news of Asami and I returning broke the other day, there was a pretty big crowd waiting there to welcome us back and he was in it. He'd turned it into this whole big event and tried to get a press conference going, but that didn't... exactly... work out... aha..." Yeah, she wasn't going to be mentioning that little train wreck again anytime soon. Tenzin shook his head.

"Why am I not surprised? That man is a real politician, through and through. But your help would be much appreciated, Korra. We've been doing alright so far, but Republic City needs its Avatar back." The question just became whether or not Lin would be willing to let Korra actually help out or not. Tenzin couldn't see why she wouldn't, but then, neither he or Korra knew about the recent string of murders or potential serial killer spirit prowling Republic City's streets yet. As much of a mess as the Triads were making, something of that caliber kind of took precedence.

"Tenzin? Kids? Are you out here? Dinner's ready!" Came the voice from above the stairs, breaking the mood. Tenzin's wife, Pema, stood there for a moment, squinting her eyes and moving down a couple of steps while her three kids bolted past her full speed ahead for the dining hall. "...Korra? Is that you?" She asked. "Welcome back dear. There should be more than enough for you to join us too, if you'd like." You know, Pema was probably the first person to not freak out or otherwise be surprised to see Korra back. Much as she was starting to enjoy people's reactions to seeing her again, it was still a refreshing change of pace from the rest of the day so far. Then again, after raising two Airbenders and a Meelo, _nothing_ could really surprise _that_ woman anymore.

"Sure, I'd love to. Asami will probably be joining us pretty soon, too, if that's okay." She asked, walking up the steps toward Pema along with Tenzin.

"Mhm. To be honest, Bumi helped out in the kitchen tonight and went a little overboard, said something about Bum-Ju telling him we'd be needing more. Guess he was right." She shrugged. Well, Bum-Ju _was_ a spirit, and Korra supposed spirits talked to one another about current events. Her return through the Southern Spirit Portal was probably old news to them by now, they were probably well aware she was coming back to the city even before someone from Future Industries leaked it to the press.

"You let Bumi near a stove? Please tell me the temple's still standing. The last time Bumi cooked for me, he nearly set fire to half the island." Tenzin groaned.

"Oh shush, he's not that bad. Besides, I could use a little bit more help around here. The lack of faith you have in that man really surprises me sometimes, I mean honestly." Pema replied.

"You weren't there, Pema, that man could set a soup on fire. He may have acquired Airbending, but I'm telling you, he could be a world class Firebender." While Pema rolled her eyes, Korra couldn't help but laugh. Yeah, she was definitely going to miss this place.

"Whatever you say, dear. Anyway, it's good to have you back, Korra. This place hasn't been the same without you." Pema continued as she, Tenzin and Korra walked along the path to the dining hall, her words causing the Water Tribe girl to come to a stop. That's right. She hadn't actually told them why she was here yet, had she? They probably assumed she was coming back to stay.

"...Oh. Actually, I'm... not staying." Korra replied, her response prompting Pema and Tenzin to be the ones to stop this time. "I actually just came here to see how everyone's been while I was away and to gather my things from my room. I'm going to be moving in with Asami." She explained.

"...Asami?" Right, Pema wasn't there for Ikki's little victory dance and Korra's explanation, was she?

"Yeah, we're actually, uh, kind of a couple now." She explained briefly. There was no need to keep dragging it out each and every time, she had a feeling Mako and Bolin were going to be awkward enough as it was. She might as well just say it.

"They're betrothed." Tenzin added on. Given the circumstances, it made sense that she'd be moving out, he supposed, but it'd still caught him a little off guard.

"...Really? Huh. It's about time. That girl's been chasing after you for years." Pema shrugged, acting as though it were old news to her. Korra and Tenzin kind of just stood there for a moment, glancing at each other and then back to Pema. She knew? "Oh, don't look so surprised. The Acolytes talk, you know, and Ikki raised quite the convincing argument. Besides, I've seen how Asami looks at you, she practically rebuilt this city in your image while you were still recovering in the South Pole. I was beginning to wonder if she was ever going to take a chance and say something to you. I'm glad to see everything worked itself out." Well, when she put it that way. Korra had never really thought about it before, but Asami did kind of build Republic City with her in mind, didn't she? Trying to strike a balance between technology and nature, the city park named after her... hell, even her car. She'd kind of just taken it as a mix of coincidence and missing a friend, but now that she really thought about it...

"Has she really had feelings for me for that long? The more I think about it, the more I'm beginning to realize just how clueless I've actually been all these years. Now that we're together, when I_ really _think about it, even before Zaheer... I didn't put much thought into it back then, but..." Korra replied. Personally, she didn't start figuring things out until she started trying to write Asami back while she was recuperating in the South Pole – after that, everything just clicked for her. She'd realized that Asami had had feelings for her for longer than she had had feelings for Asami, but she didn't really think about for how long until now. After Zaheer it was pretty obvious, but... the more she thought about it, the more she realized that maybe something had been going on since even before that for Asami, and the whole Zaheer thing just crystallized it for her.

"Oh, don't worry so much about it. What's important is that you two are together now, not how long it took for that to happen. I'm sure she couldn't be happier either way." Pema reassured. She was right. There was no use worrying over how long it had or hadn't been. What mattered was that they were together _now_, and Korra had no intention of that not being the case anytime in the foreseeable (or otherwise) future.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Korra replied, sighing. She'd said it herself before – sometimes, in retrospect, what seems bad at one time can turn out to be beneficial or important later on. Maybe it was a good thing that she never caught on to Asami's feelings earlier, maybe their love was stronger now than it would've been otherwise. I mean, 3 and a half years is a hell of a long time to wait for somebody like that... if that wasn't a testament to Asami's resolve and the veracity of her feelings, she didn't know what was. "I don't know how I'm going to break it to the kids, I think they all kind of assumed I was coming back to stay, too..." She trailed, rubbing the back of her neck. She probably should've opened with that in retrospect, but then, she _was_ kind of caught off guard.

"I'm sure they'll understand, I don't think anyone expected you to stay here forever." Tenzin replied. It was always just one of those things that you know isn't going to last, but at the same time, you don't really know when it's going to end either, so when it finally does, it ends up catching you off guard. Even with the revelation of the betrothal, he didn't think she'd be leaving so soon. "Eventually, a young woman such as yourself is going to want to stand on her own two feet, right? Start making her own choices where she stays."

"Yeah. I honestly can't wait." Korra smiled.

"Guys, come on! The food is getting cold!" Ikki called from the door to the dining hall, catching the three's attention. Right – they couldn't keep everyone waiting forever. Korra was starting to feel pretty hungry right about now, anyway. It was time to eat!

* * *

><p>"...And that's how I managed to save an entire fleet with nothing more than three penguins, a broken radio and an old toothbrush!" Bumi exclaimed, finishing yet another long-winded and far-fetched war story, much to the relief of those gathered. The sad part was that at least half of those stories were probably true, but they were so out there, nobody believed them. Which ones belonged to the 'true' half was anybody's guess though, which simply added to the frustration. However, everybody had given up figuring that out years ago.<p>

"...Right. Anyway, how was your dinner, Korra?" Tenzin asked, scrambling to try and get a conversation going now that Bumi was finally done occupying everybody's time, much to the older gentleman's chagrin. Some people just didn't appreciate a good war story, he supposed. And it was one of his favorites, too! As she finished off what little rice remained in her bowl and placed it back on the table next to her recently cleared dumplings, Korra nodded.

"Just like I remembered it. Pema always did make the best Rice & Dumplings. I don't know how she does it." Korra replied. Whenever she ate Pema's cooking, it always reminded her of her own mom's, just a little bit. It was probably because this place felt so much like a second home to her, but Pema being a mother herself likely had something to do with it as well. "Spirit Fruit is great and all, but I dunno, it got a little monotonous after a while. Between my mom's Octopus Stew and Pema's Rice & Dumplings, I'm becoming more and more content with never seeing another Spirit Fruit again." She complained.

She'd made do with the lack of proper bedding in the Spirit World just fine, she and Asami mostly just took turns using each other's chests other as pillows anyway, but the lack of variety in edible fruits and vegetables in the Spirit World was unforgivable. Then again, after that bad experience with those berries that one time, she wasn't exactly keen on experimenting with anything else after the first week or two. She'd forgotten to factor in how mischievous and/or unknowing of human physiology spirits actually were.

"You and me both." Korra's head whipped around the instant that voice breached the silence, responding to her criticism. She knew that voice like the back of her hand, by this point.

"Asami!" Korra shouted somewhat ecstatically, rising up from her spot at the table to greet the girl standing in the doorway with a hug. "When did you get here?"

"Just now, actually. One of the Air Acolytes greeted me outside and told me you guys were expecting me in the dining room." The dark-haired girl replied, nodding and greeting the kids back as they welcomed her from across the table, along with Tenzin, Bumi and Pema.

"Well, there's still some leftover Rice & Dumplings if you're hungry. I made sure we saved some for when you showed up." Korra explained as she pulled away, walking her fiancee to an empty spot at the table to her right.

"That sounds wonderful, thank you." Asami said. Nothing like a good hour of paperwork to drum up an appetite. "So, did you tell them yet?" She asked, not wanting to be too specific as to not spoil the surprise if Korra hadn't, the knowing glances she received from Ikki and Jinora from across the table answering her question before Korra could even open her mouth.

"Well, kind of." Korra replied. "Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, Tenzin and Pema know. I don't know about Bumi or anybody else, but apparently Ikki's been spreading rumors ever since we left for the Spirit World." Well it wasn't like the two of them literally walking off into the sunset together was terribly subtle or anything. What was she expecting? Asami just laughed, amused at Ikki's triumphant smirk.

"Is it still a rumor if it's true? I've just been telling it like it is all along." The young Airbender defended, her older sister briefly explaining to their confused uncle that Korra and Asami were now officially "a thing" like Ikki had been saying. He didn't really seem to be that affected by it either way though, simply shrugging it off and taking another bowl of rice. Wasn't really any of his business, the way he figured it. Meelo, meanwhile, appeared to be completely disinterested with the conversation at hand and was instead currently sculpting something out of the food in his bowl, which his mother promptly scolded him for, while Tenzin decided to follow his brother's lead and simply mind his own business, taking another sip of his drink.

"I guess not. Not that I really made my feelings all that difficult to tell in retrospect. Korra's just dense." Asami shrugged, teasing her fiancee, a sly grin creeping its way to the corners of her mouth as she took her first bite of the dumplings.

"Hey! Am not!" Korra responded, predictably offended – albeit only playfully so – at the accusation regardless of its veracity, causing Jinora, Ikki and Asami all to laugh at her expense. The young Avatar blushed lightly in embarrassment, crossing her arms with a huff and lowering her head slightly, glancing down and to her right and muttering something indistinguishable beneath her breath in response.

"What was that? 'We have our perks'?" Asami asked, Korra's eyes widening slightly. Oops. She heard that? Well, that's what she got for muttering while literally sitting right next to somebody, even if she was misheard.

"No, I actually said 'you're all a bunch of jerks', but, yeah, I guess that's not exactly untrue either, even if it is unrelated." She corrected, her arms still crossed and still refusing to look back up on account of her increasingly red face. Asami just laughed again, placing a hand on Korra's shoulder. Poor girl couldn't catch a break today, could she? Well, she might as well throw her a bone.

"So, where's Kai, Opal, Daw and all the others? I thought they'd be here on the island with you guys now that Kuvira's been taken care of and things with the Earth Kingdom territories seem to be going well." Asami asked. Honestly, she'd expected to see this place crawling with Airbenders by now, but so far she'd only seen a number of Air Acolytes and Tenzin's immediate family.

"A few of them are. Ryu's still giving tours in the Spirit Wilds, but almost everybody else is helping out with relief and construction efforts in the city right now." Tenzin replied. Though initially decimated by Kuvira's Spirit Weapon, the Wilds were quickly beginning to return to the Downtown area in and around the remains of the city, just beyond the crater; and the new Spirit Portal was also something of a tourist attraction these days, so either way, Ryu wasn't off the hook with tour duties just yet, much to his dismay.

"Poor Ryu. Probably not the kind of job he was expecting after becoming an Airbender." Korra mentioned. Not that Ryu ever really wanted a job in the first place, he was always more of the lazy sort, but still. Poor guy got relegated to tour duty while everybody else traveled the world helping people in need. Though, Korra wondered whether or not he'd really care much about that, either.

"Yes, well, everybody has their talents." Tenzin defended. Honestly, nobody really liked having to deal with Ryu, Tenzin included. He tended to like making things a lot more difficult than they needed to be.

"Yeah, 'talents'." Korra responded, rolling her eyes. Well, whatever got the job done. "Anyway, um, I told Tenzin and Pema this outside, but I haven't really had the chance to tell anybody else yet," Korra spoke up, directing her words primarily at the Airbender Kids sitting across the table from her, immediately grabbing their attention as well as Asami's, who continued to eat. "But this is actually going to be my last dinner here, at least for a while. I'm going to be moving off of Air Temple Island tonight in order to go live in the Sato Estate, with Asami." She explained. Ikki's expression immediately sunk, a complete 180 from the triumphant smile from a couple moments prior, Meelo following suit while Jinora simply frowned slightly.

"Well, I guess that makes sense." Jinora replied. "It's still sad to see you go, though. It's been really fun having you live with us all this time." Korra frowned.

"Well, it's not like I'm leaving the city or anything, so I can still visit. It's also probably not a bad idea to brush up on my Airbending skills a little bit every now and then." The Southern Water Tribe girl explained. "I'm just going to be living in a different part of the city now is all. I feel like it's time I started making some changes and left the nest, you know?" Asami gave a somewhat disheartened look, picking up on her fiancee's mixed emotions. As excited as she was to be moving out, Korra really did see Tenzin's family as her own, didn't she? She almost felt a little guilty to be a part of the reason why she was leaving, even if it _was_ a happy one.

"Does this mean I can have your room?" Ikki asked, trying to make the best of the situation.

"I think that one's up to your dad, but I have no problems with it." Korra replied, giving the younger girl a small smile. "I'm going to miss you guys." She said.

"Well, you brought a lot of spirit to this island, Korra. Guess it's gonna be up to Bum-Ju, Meelo and I to liven this place up from now on!" Bumi cut in, glancing over at his young nephew who was still busy sculpting something out of his food, much to his mother's chagrin, but gave his uncle a thumbs up in response regardless. Tenzin, meanwhile, preemptively rubbed his temples. Greeeeaaaat... they hadn't even done anything yet and he could _already_ feel a migraine coming on. Korra laughed.

"You know, I'm almost sad I won't be able to see that. Good luck with that, Tenzin." She teased, the Airbending Master groaning in response. "Meelo, what are you even doing, anyway? You've been surprisingly quiet all dinner." She asked.

"Oh, you know, just working on my latest masterpiece." The young boy replied, lifting his bowl and showing it to Korra, a beautifully sculpted carving of his own face having been crafted out of the rice in his bowl. Wow. She didn't know Meelo was such a talented artist before. "It's beautiful because of its impermanence, and also because it's me. Now to eat it!" He stated with glee, finally digging in and eating for the first time since he'd sat down while his mother just stared at him in shock.

"..."Beautiful because of its impermanence"? I think somebody's been spending a little bit too much time with Huan..." Jinora groaned, rolling her eyes. If there were ever somebody who personified pretentiousness, it was that guy. Meanwhile, Korra and Asami just laughed.

"Looks like you guys have got a little artist in your hands." Asami remarked.

"You should've seen the portrait of Korra that he drew back when we were searching the Earth Kingdom for her." Ikki spoke up, catching the young engineer's attention. A portrait of Korra, huh?

"Please! There is no use in basking in the glory of the past, it distracts from the now!" Meelo shouted in reply, Jinora just dragging her hand down her face, receiving a sympathetic look from her father. Once again, Korra and Asami just laughed. After a couple more moments, Korra sighed, a warm smile stretched across her face as she glanced over at the clock hanging on the wall. She should probably get going soon. It was going to take a while to pack everything up and move it over to the estate, and they still had to go looking for Mako and Bolin after that.

"Well, it's been nice, but I should probably go start getting things packed up. It's starting to get a bit late." Korra began, standing up from the table and stretching out her back as her fiancee finished up the last of her dinner. "You brought one of your boats here, right, Asami? I was initially just going to see if I couldn't load everything up on a sky bison, but maybe it'd be better if we used that." She suggested.

"Actually, I just took a public ferry here. It'd be easier if we could just borrow a bison anyway, the estate is pretty far inland, so even if I did bring one of my boats, we wouldn't have any way to get it there once we reached shore." ...Good point, Korra hadn't actually thought about that. She just felt bad assuming she could even borrow a bison in the first place, even though she knew the answer would've been a yes if she'd asked. It just seemed in bad form under the circumstances.

"If it's a sky bison you need, I'd be happy to lend you Oogi for a little while, if you'd like." Tenzin replied, receiving a thankful nod from Korra in response.

"That'd be a lot of help, thank you." She replied.

"Of course. I'll let a few of the Air Acolytes know that you're packing up and go bring Oogi over to the women's dormitories, they can help you load up his saddle." The Airbending Master offered, rising from his spot at the table to do just that.

"Thank you, again, for everything. All of you. You guys took me in as one of your own and gave me a place to stay in Republic City for years... you're all like family to me. I really, really can't thank you enough." The gathered family of Avatar descendants smiled.

"Of course. If you ever need anything, we're here for you. You will always be welcome at Air Temple Island." Tenzin replied. Finished eating, Asami stood up next, placing her hand back onto Korra's shoulder, giving her a comforting smile and putting the girl at ease. Home wasn't a place you ever really left, it was something that you took with you wherever it was you happened to be in the world, and sometimes, that could include multiple places at once. Korra was just lucky enough to have three. After all, as the old adage goes, home is where the heart is, and hers belonged to Asami, her family back home, and to Air Temple Island. In spite of all the hardships she'd endured, she was nevertheless blessed.

Standing up from the table, Jinora, Ikki and Meelo collectively gave Korra another great big group hug, this time looping Asami into the mix as well, wishing the two of them the best as they turned and walked away, heading for the girl's dormitories across the island.

* * *

><p>Having made their way to Korra's old room on the other side of the island, Korra and Asami began packing up the blue-eyed girl's belongings into a number of suitcases and boxes, passing them over to a couple of Air Acolytes standing outside who would then take them up onto Oogi's back and secure them to the sky bison's saddle, making sure that everything was properly sealed and wouldn't go flying once they took off. Thankfully, Korra didn't have very much stuff, so it wasn't something that was going to take very long – maybe five or six boxes of miscellaneous clothes, personal effects, gifts and other assorted belongings and they'd be on their way.<p>

Or, at least, they would've been, if Mako and Bolin hadn't shown up.

Their shift at the precinct now over, the two of them arrived on the island via public transport pretty much right as the two girls left the dining hall. They fully expected to find at least Korra here, having been well aware of hers and Asami's return to Republic City earlier that day, but they were a little surprised to hear from the Acolytes upon arriving that Asami was here, too. They'd both assumed that she'd have gone straight back to her company and got caught up on all of her work as soon as she got back. Perhaps she and Korra were looking to extend their vacation until tomorrow?

"Korra! Asami! There you are!" Bolin called, seeing the two girls sitting down on Korra's floor through the open door, packing their last box. Looking up from what they were doing first at each other and then outside, they were surprised to see Bolin running across the courtyard to Korra's room with Mako walking up at a leisurely pace from behind him, his hands tucked into his pockets. Well, at least they wouldn't have to go looking for them now!

"Mako! Bolin!" Korra called, immediately dropping what she was doing and running out of her room to greet the brothers with a big hug, Bolin accepting it wholeheartedly while Mako was caught completely off guard. He seemed to be getting pulled into a lot of these today. "I really missed you guys. It feels like it's been forever." She stated as Asami stepped out of the room behind her, handing the last box of Korra's things to the Acolytes to be loaded up onto Oogi's back.

"We were just about to go looking for you guys after we finished up here, this actually saves us a lot of trouble." Asami mentioned, walking up to the two bending brothers and greeting them individually with a hug, echoing her fiancee's sentiments. She'd really missed them. "It's so good to see you guys again."

"It's good to see you guys again, too. You're never gonna believe what we've been up to lately, it's actually part of the reason why we're here right now. But that can wait! First, a heart-warming reunion." Bolin smiled, pulling Korra, Asami and his brother into yet another hug, much to the Firebender's chagrin. Why was everybody being so huggy all of a sudden? It was starting to make him uncomfortable, something that Asami almost immediately picked up on after Bolin had let them go, tilting her head to the right.

"...? Mako, is everything alright?" Asami asked, sensing his hesitation. Crap, she was onto him.

"What? Yeah, everything's fine! I'm glad to see you two again, too. It's been a while." Mako replied, glancing away briefly, his hands still sunk into his pockets. Neither Asami or Korra were buying it though, the blue-eyed girl in question crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow, non-verbally demanding Mako say whatever it was that was _really_ on his mind. Mako, however, was intent on not talking about it, insisting with a shrug that he had no idea what she was insinuating. Uh-huh. Sure.

"Oh, don't mind him. He's just a little miffed that you guys ran off without telling anybody. Personally I don't really care, but Gloomy Gong over here apparently likes to take everything personally." Bolin shrugged, giving the two a 'What can you do?' look while Mako shot him a glare that could freeze a volcano. Well, so much for playing it cool and taking care of this later. He just wanted to say his hellos and then get down to business and get this over with, leave it to Bolin to unnecessarily complicate things. He subconsciously reached for his left arm, rubbing the scar that climbed up his wrist.

"...Oh." Korra responded, glancing over at Asami, a concerned look on her face. Right. She did kind of skip over telling Mako and Bolin when she was leaving for the Spirit World, didn't she? Oops. She was actually kind of taken aback, she didn't think that Mako would take it so personally. "Uh... sorry about that..." She apologized nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "It was kind of a 'spur-of-the-moment' decision, you know? There wasn't really much planning behind it... I just gathered a few things, told my parents and Tenzin I was going to be exploring the Spirit World with Asami so they wouldn't worry about where I went, and then... left. And Asami had to go make sure her company stayed afloat while she was gone, so..." She explained. Well. This was a little awkward.

"See, that's what I've been telling him! But nope, he seems to think you guys have something against him or something, I dunno. I think he just thinks too much." Bolin replied, shrugging yet again while Mako let loose an annoyed sigh. He was completely misrepresenting the situation.

"...Something against him?" Korra raised an eyebrow, somewhat offended by the insinuation. She glanced back over at Asami, who shrugged, as unsure of what he was talking about as Korra was. Why would Mako think she or Asami had something against him? She thought she'd squared everything away with him back at the party, before she'd left for the Spirit World. Was there something going on she didn't know about?

"I don't think they have something against me, Bolin, I'm just a little ticked off that my two best friends went on a private vacation and then left me to find out about it secondhand the next day. There's a difference." The detective complained, correcting his younger brother. "I get that it was a spur-of-the-moment thing, but still, the least you could've done was leave a note or something. I thought we were finally back to normal again after everything that's happened between us, and then you just up and disappeared without saying a word the very next day. So yeah, I'll admit it, I've been a little mad. The city's been falling apart and you ran off for two months without saying anything. How was I supposed to take it?" He accused, almost immediately setting Korra off. How in the hell was that not him thinking that they have something against him? How dense could you even get?

"_Excuse_ me? Well, I'm sorry that I wasn't thinking all about you after almost dying in a giant explosion that blasted a new Spirit Portal into existence in the center of Republic City! I mean, spirits forbid I decide treat myself to a little R&R after all the shit I just went through these past three years, never mind what Asami's had to put up with ever since I got poisoned. Between rebuilding the city, to wondering if I was ever going to come back again, to losing her father, I just thought it'd be nice if we could step away for a bit and have some time to ourselves to relax. But nope! I forgot that I wasn't allowed to go more than a couple seconds without considering how my actions might end up affecting the all-important Mako! What was I thinking?" Korra exploded. Leave it to Mako to somehow make this all about himself.

While Korra went off, Bolin just stood there, blinking, not really sure how to react. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything. He looked over at Asami for some sort of sign what to do, who seemed to be a little taken aback by Korra's sudden outburst, but otherwise agreeing with what she was saying. Mako, meanwhile, just kind of winced, visibly retreating and lowering his head a bit as Korra let loose, grabbing onto his left arm even tighter, feeling a surge of pain from his scar again. This was why he didn't want to bring this up. He knew that Korra wouldn't understand. But then, at the same time, as he listened, he realized that she was right, too. He... hadn't actually thought about everything Korra and Asami had been through lately, or how that may have impacted their decision, he was too busy worrying about the city and, admittedly, himself. Maybe she was right.

"Whatever. Maybe you're right, I... didn't really think about it like that. Whatever, it's not important." He hurriedly replied, just trying to get this little confrontation over with as quickly as possible. This wasn't a fight he felt like having right now, there was too much other stuff going on that was more important than this right now. His case, for example, which he desperately needed to get Korra in on. Having her pissed off at him certainly wasn't going to help with that. However, his rather nonchalant attitude about the whole thing only served to piss Korra off more.

"Whatever"? He goes and turns hers and Asami's vacation into some sort of a personal attack against him, apparently acts like a child about it for two months, and then, when Korra finds out about it, suddenly it's all just "whatever" and "not important"? Nuh-uh, he did NOT get to do that, not this time. She grit her teeth, ready to unload on him again when Asami placed her hand onto her fiancee's shoulder, immediately snapping her out of it. Looking over to the green-eyed girl shaking her head behind her, Korra unclenched her fists, calming herself down to listen to what she had to say.

"Korra, that's enough. I get why you're frustrated, but it really isn't important. It was just a misunderstanding." She said, the Firebending detective continuing to rub his arm, visibly relieved that at least Asami wasn't going off on him, too. "I'm a little mad, too, but I really don't think getting angry about it going to help anything here. He doesn't really have the full story, anyway." She explained, giving the girl a concerned look of her own. Mako raised an eyebrow. "The full story"? Meanwhile, Korra just sighed, still clearly annoyed, but less worked up than before, at least.

"Maybe you're right. I'm sorry. I'm just offended that Mako would think I'd be doing this to hurt him for some reason, I'm not even mad at him about anything – and even if I was, I wouldn't react like _that_." Korra explained. "I mean, what the fuck? Seriously, Mako? You told me before I left that you had my back, that you'd always be willing to fight beside me. What, does that not extend to me taking care of myself, or something?" She asked. Mako just looked down at the ground. Maybe she was right after all.

"I'm sorry." Mako spoke up, catching Korra by surprise. Wait... was he actually apologizing? "You're right. I've just been... I don't know. Since you left, I've been under a lot of stress lately, and as much as the city's being put back together, it's also been falling apart. I'm sure you must've heard about what's been going on around here by now, but you haven't seen what I've seen. Kuvira left half the city in ruins and the Triads have Republic City in a death grip, and even with a larger police force, we've barely been able to do anything about it. Even with all the volunteers, it's going to take years to put this place back together. I thought, maybe, with you, we'd stand a chance, but you disappeared." He began. Korra was going to interject, but Mako stopped her, raising his hand, wanting to continue.

"But you're right, I get it. I didn't really think about what you had been going through, or Asami. I never really considered _why_ you two left and focused on the fact that you _did_, instead. I just passed the blame onto both of you because there was nothing I could do about any of it, even now, but I shouldn't have. I just... I have no idea what to do." Korra remained silent, as did Asami and Bolin, not wanting to interrupt the moment or accidentally make things worse.

"And then you and Asami... I just can't figure you two out anymore. I was already a little frustrated with the two of you even before you left, the way you two have been acting lately has left me pretty confused. I honestly feel like I'm third wheeling these days, like you guys just moved on with your friendship and left me behind – and then you literally did. I honestly felt a little betrayed. You know how much I care about both of you, so yeah, that played a part, too. It's probably petty, but you're right. I told you that I had your back, but I haven't been acting like it. So the least I can do is try and be honest for once, instead."

Man, where was this Mako when the two of them were dating? Korra wasn't sure she'd ever heard him be so upfront before, at least while remaining relatively calm. Even if he wasn't exactly acting like it before, maybe he had grown up in some ways over the last couple of years. I mean, she did. Why wouldn't Mako? She was still a little peeved, but at least now she had a better understanding of things. Seemed that she and Asami's burgeoning relationship had just been the icing on the isolation cake for him, huh? She knew that wasn't really her problem, but she did still care about how Mako felt, he was still her friend – even if he did drive her up the wall, sometimes.

"I'm sorry for going off on you like that. But that really hurt, you know?" Korra apologized. "Look, I get it. Maybe I didn't leave at the best time for the city, but I needed a break. After everything I've been through, I _earned_ a break. I am _not_ going to apologize for taking care of myself, and Asami shouldn't have to, either. I am sorry about not telling you or Bolin, but I honestly didn't expect you to take it so personally. Bolin didn't. So that one's on you." She explained. Much as he hated it, Mako couldn't disagree. He sighed, frustrated and a little defeated.

"I'm sorry. Are we cool?" He asked.

"Yeah, we're cool. Just don't do this again. Asami and I are _not_ out to get you or anything like that, trust me." She replied with a smirk, glancing over at the girl in question. The only thing those two were after was–

"...Is it safe to talk now?" Bolin asked, raising his hand.

"Yes, you can talk now, Bolin." Korra laughed.

"Phew! Sorry about all that. In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have said anything. But hey, you live and you learn, right?" He asked. His question completely rhetorical, of course. "Anyway, I meant to ask this before until things got all shouty and awkward, but what's with all the stuff? You look like you're moving out." He asked, this question less rhetorical. Well, at least somebody was moving the conversation along a more constructive path...

"Oh. Uh, I kind of am, actually. I told Tenzin and everyone earlier tonight at dinner." Korra responded somewhat awkwardly.

"Ooh, you found a place in the city?" Bolin asked, excitement in his voice. Korra, meanwhile, just became a little more awkward, something that Mako almost immediately caught onto. That was odd.

"...I guess you could say that, yeah." She replied.

"I see... good to hear! Living on one's own can be a GREAT experience! Or, so I've heard, anyway, I've always kind of lived with my brother, but I've always wanted to try living on my own! Maybe one day..." Bolin thought aloud. Korra and Asami just shot each other a look, Asami reaching up for her necklace – something else Bolin wanted to mention. "Oh, right! I noticed that before, I almost forgot, but that's a really cool necklace, Asami. I actually kind of want one... where'd you get that?" Bolin asked. There was no way Bolin didn't know what he was doing here, right? He HAD to be onto them by now, didn't he?

"...Oh, uh, Korra made it for me actually." Asami replied, blushing slightly. Well, the two of them were planning on breaking the news to them eventually. It seemed a little out of place given Korra's and Mako's little spat a couple minutes back, but... you know, maybe it'd actually help set a few things straight. Keep it up Bolin. Keep it up for everlasting peace.

"Really? Wow, Korra, I didn't even know you liked jewelery, let alone made it! That's pretty awesome!" The rock-headed Earthbender exclaimed.

"Ehehehe, thanks, Bolin. I'm glad you like it..." Korra trailed, also blushing slightly by this point. Mako narrowed his eyes. What was going on here?

"Wait a minute, why are you two blushing? ...Is my fly down? My fly's down, isn't it." Not even Bolin could see two girls blushing and not realize something was up. ...Or, down, as his question supposed.

"What? No, it's just... hm." Asami paused. How could she explain it exactly?

"It's a betrothal necklace." Korra interrupted. That worked.

"Ohhh, I see, I see..." Bolin replied, clearly not actually seeing it. "...OHHHHHHH." _Now_ he saw it. Mako closed his eyes, inhaling and then exhaling sharply, burying his face in his hands. Incredible. This was just incredible. How didn't he see this before? Suddenly, absolutely everything made sense. He just made an even bigger ass of himself than he thought, spirits help him.

"I'm an idiot." Mako muttered, shaking his head.

"True, but you're our idiot." Korra teased, Mako simply continuing to shake his head, refusing to look up. His two exes were dating. Hell, they were _betrothed_! How did this even...? How didn't he...? ..._Really_?

"I am _so _sorry." Mako apologized. He really was an idiot, wasn't he? "I can't believe this. I... congratulations?" Bolin shook his head, patting his brother on the back as he continued to process the situation.

"Wow. Gotta admit, did NOT see that one coming. I guess the Avatar can bend more than just all the elements, huh? Huh? Am I right?" Bolin nudged in Korra's direction, wiggling his eyebrows as he did, causing both Asami and the Avatar in question to break out into a fit of laughter in response. Well, he wasn't wrong.

"Bolin!" Mako shouted. This was hardly the time for jokes, at least to him.

"What? I'm just saying! It's not like everybody isn't thinking it!" Bolin complained. Yet again, he wasn't wrong.

"We were actually going to tell you guys when we saw you until that whole thing happened," Korra began once her laughter had subsided. "I wasn't really sure how we were going to bring it up after that, though. Thanks, Bolin." She smiled.

"But of course, anything for our lovely Avatar and her beautiful new fiancee." Bolin replied, bowing in a very gentlemanly manner. So he knew what he was doing after all! "...What'd I do again?" ...Didn't he? Shaking her head, Korra couldn't help but laugh again. Was he being serious? She honestly couldn't tell. Truly, Bolin was the man of a million surprises.

"Never change, Bolin. Just... never change." Korra replied. "Anyway, Asami and I should probably get going. I'm going to be moving in to her place, and we can't keep Oogi waiting forever. I should go start getting settled in." She explained.

"Wait," Mako spoke up, finally seeming to have regained his composure. "Before you go, there's something I need to talk to you about. It was actually the original reason why I wanted to come see you, it's about this case my brother and I have been working on lately." Korra raised an eyebrow.

"...Your brother? Since when was Bolin a cop?" Asami asked, looking over at the Earthbender in question, a wide, nervous smile spread across his face.

"Oops. I forgot to mention that? Yeah, I'm actually a cop now, and Mako and I are partners! Isn't that awesome!? ...Oh, yeah, but the case we're working on... hoo boy. Yeah, that is most certainly _not_ awesome." Bolin frowned. To be honest, he'd almost completely forgotten about it until Mako brought it back up. He kind of wish he didn't. "I told Mako to wait a day or two, but... if we're right about this, things could be getting pretty bad pretty soon. Lin wanted us to bring you in as soon as possible."

"...What is it?" Korra asked, the look on her face completely changing. Asami looked on with concern while Mako and Bolin glanced at each other for a moment, deciding on the best way to explain it.

"Well... to put it bluntly, we think there's a spirit attacking people in Republic City." Mako stated. "It's killing them, sucking out every single fluid in their body, turning them into horrible, dried up husks. But even more than that... it's taking away their chi, too. All of it. I have no idea what this thing is, I just know it isn't human. ...I know you literally just got back earlier today, but we need your help, Korra."

The look on Korra's face became immediately more grave. A spirit? Killing people? Sure, spirits could get pretty angry sometimes and wreak havoc on the Physical World in response, but something _really_ bad would have to happen to prompt one to actually start killing. She sighed, looking over at Asami.

"Go." The CEO said. "I'll get Tenzin or Jinora to take me back to my place on Oogi and get you settled in. Looks like Republic City's gonna need its Avatar tonight." She shrugged, giving the Water Tribe girl a reassuring smile. Korra nodded in response, turning back to Mako and Bolin. Well, there was no use standing around here anymore.

"Let's go. It looks I've got a lot of catching up to do."


	4. The Chi Eater

**Chapter Four**

**The Chi Eater**

"Wow, I never realized Naga was such a fast swimmer." Bolin mentioned from atop the polar bear dog's back, the animal in question, her master Korra, his brother Mako and himself having just crossed Yue Bay in what _had_ to be record time. It was almost as though somebody had strapped an engine to her back.

"Well, she _is_ from the South Pole. All about ice and water down there. What did you expect?" Mako asked, prompting an "Oh yeah" look from his younger brother's face. Even a big ol' fluffy polar bear dog probably didn't want to stay in icy water for too long, Bolin figured.

While the two of them talked, however, Korra was completely focused on the task at hand, utilizing her Waterbending to boost Naga's speed in the bay followed by an Airbending boost as she leaped high out of the water and onto a dock in the Eastern Harbor, drying her fur and the legs of those gathered on her back with a single Airbending blast. Once Korra had heard that spirits may be wreaking havoc in the city, she knew that there was no time to waste. So, she grabbed Mako and Bolin, hopped onto Naga's back and headed straight back for Yue Bay, right then and there, a dozen possibilities flitting through her mind, one more than any other: Was this all Kuvira's fault? Did she invite angry spirits back into Republic City?

"You guys can talk about that later, where am I going right now?" Korra asked, directing her ride to continue her charge, full speed ahead through the city streets.

"The first two murders were in Dragon Flats, the second one being on the edge of town beneath the Silk Road Bridge. We should head there first, while the crime scene is still relatively fresh." Mako explained. Korra nodded in response. She knew the place. Back during the Equalist Movement a few years back, that was where she'd met with a Future Industries 'informant' who'd initially told her about Hiroshi Sato's involvement with Amon, and about the secret factory that was hidden beneath his mansion. Actually, the more she thought about it, the more she wondered – did Asami keep that? She supposed it _could_ have its uses during an emergency situation, but...

"Right, I know where that is. It's been a long time since I've been to that place... the Equalists had control of it at one point, didn't they?" Korra asked again.

"Kind of, they did hold a number of rallies and secret meetings down there. It's never been a very affluent neighborhood, but it's only gotten worse since Kuvira's attack. It was hit pretty hard by that weapon of hers and the general aftereffects of the city's current state. It's even more of a hotbed for Triad activity now than it was 3 years ago. We're going to need to be extra careful down there." Mako warned, trying to get Korra up to speed on the current state of the city. The Avatar smirked, a self-assured grin on her face.

"I think you've forgotten who you're talking to – I'm the Avatar, I can handle it." She replied, Naga taking off at an even higher speed as they rounded another corner, running straight for the aforementioned Silk Road Bridge. A few people cheered as she went by, fully aware of what that white blur was and who it belonged to, while others just looked around dazed and confused, seeing little more than a white _thing_ streak past followed by a strong gust of wind. Making it across the bridge in great time, she then directed Naga to simply jump off of its left side as they came over land, scaring the crap out of Mako and Bolin who almost immediately began to scream, holding onto Naga for dear life. Korra just flashed the most mischievous grin she could muster, Airbending to cushion their landing on the city streets below as soon as they were three quarters of the way to the ground.

"LET'S DO THAT AGAIN!" Bolin cheered after Naga had landed, coming to a stop. Mako, meanwhile, just breathed a sigh of relief. Korra did that back when they were rescuing Prince Wu from that train a couple of months back, as well... nearly scared the crap out of him then, too.

"Well, that should cut another 5 minutes of running out of the equation. Good girl, Naga." Korra congratulated, rubbing her rather large pet's head, who contently wagged her tail back and forth as she sat there, panting. Korra hopped off of her back first, followed shortly thereafter by Mako, and then Bolin, who lost his balance and more tumbled than hopped, landing chest first on the ground below.

"I'm okay..." He groaned, rising back to his feet and dusting off his clothes, still a little lightheaded from that leap. Looking around the area, the rookie cop gulped. This place looked even worse and more intimidating at night. Good thing he was being accompanied by two of the greatest benders he knew.

"So you said the body was found somewhere around here?" Korra asked, Mako nodding in response.

"A couple of streets down, yeah. I was going to head out there earlier, but I figured I'd be better off waiting until you were with me. If this really is a spirit, then maybe you can pick up on something with your Avatar powers that I can't." Mako explained. It was sound reasoning, she supposed. If a spirit was involved, if she focused at the scene of the crime, she should be able to pick up on some sort of residual energy – she might even be able to track it! For such an initially headstrong, physical Avatar, she sure had connected a lot with her spiritual side over these last couple of years... it was really starting to pay off, lately.

With Naga in tow close behind, Korra and the two brothers made their way silently through the city streets, Korra taking in just how bad Dragon Flats actually was right now while Mako and Bolin were more concerned with the people watching nervously from behind window curtains and in dark alleyways, some of them looking almost relieved to see Korra back in town while others just looked on suspiciously. If any of them were troublemakers, the mere presence of Korra seemed to be keeping them in check – they knew who she was. The three of them remained silent for a good portion of their walk, Mako eventually sinking his hands back into his pockets while Bolin continued to look around nervously.

The Earthbender made a mental note to himself – there were no spirits around here, either. It almost seemed as though they'd run away, just like they had near Wang Ping and Li Li's house. He was going to make a note of it to Korra, but the look on her face told him she'd already picked up on it. Something was very, very wrong here, and she could feel it. It was almost as if something was disrupting the natural energy of the place, something inherently _un_natural, but not in a technological sense. Rather, in the sense of something that did not by any stretch of the imagination belong in this world. Something... inhuman.

"Sooo... you and Asami, huh?" Mako asked, finally deciding to break the silence that he'd previously perceived as awkward. Though, he kind of wished he hadn't almost immediately after as Korra just shook her head. Maybe he should've just let that one be.

"Don't even think about it." She warned, Mako's face snapping into an expression of red-tinted shock.

"What? No! I'm not! I'm just... really? You two? I never would've seen that coming." He defended, looking away, eying the people eying them as he did. Even if he was a little flustered, he couldn't afford to let his guard down, not out here.

"Well, it's not like it was some big secret, you and your brother are just dense. Pema and Ikki figured it out ages ago." Korra shrugged, conveniently neglecting to mention her own density on the matter over the years. Mako's expression sunk slightly. A genius detective he was not, at least in affairs of the heart. "Anyway, do you know which street exactly? I'm still not really sure where I'm g–" Korra froze, Naga immediately going into a defensive position, growling and stopping right beside her, catching the bending brothers off guard, the two of them almost bumping into Korra and her pet.

"...? Korra?" Mako asked. Her eyes were wide and the expression on her face was one most closely approximated to horror, and peering over her shoulder from behind her, Mako almost immediately understood why, his face taking on a similar expression when he saw what she was looking at, a bead of sweat running down the side of his face. "...Oh no." Lying sprawled out in the street were the shriveled and mutilated corpses of three people – three _cops_ – and a police cruiser that looked as though it'd been thrown into a trash compactor; ripped in two and then crushed. The ground below had been cracked and broken in places and windows and nearby merchant stands were shattered all around. From what Mako could tell, it looked as though they'd put up a fight with their Earthbending, using the city streets as their weapon, but to no avail.

"...Oh... oh spirits... Lin is not... oh no..." Bolin stuttered when he saw what Korra and Mako were looking at, almost immediately covering his eyes and looking away. He was really beginning to hate this case, this was absolutely horrible. He felt like he was going to be sick again, trying his hardest not to think too hard about whatever had happened out here.

"This..." Korra wasn't really sure what to say. The sight of the bodies and the car were horrible enough – she had _never_ seen anything like this before, and she never wanted to again – but that feeling... that was... "...Energybending..." Korra muttered. Mako and Bolin glanced at each other, unsure of what she meant exactly, and then back to Korra, trying not to focus too hard on the bodies. But Korra couldn't help but keep staring, unblinking, her gaze affixed to the hell in front of her. What the hell would do this?

"...Energybending? You mean like what you did to give everybody's bending back after Amon took it from them?" Mako asked. Korra closed her eyes and swallowed, trying not to cry, taking in a deep breath and trying to compose herself instead.

"Yes. When Avatar Aang gave me the ability to use it, I had asked Tenzin about it, about what it was and how Aang had learned it. Then when I learned about Avatar Wan back during Harmonic Convergence, I think I began to understand it a little better." She began, opening her eyes and turning around. She'd seen enough of that for one lifetime. She looked instead at the two brothers now, still clearly a little shocked. Bolin gave a concerned look, but let her continue.

"He told me that Aang told him he'd met with the last lion turtle before he faced off against Fire Lord Ozai, desperate for a way to end the Hundred Year War without having to take a life. The lion turtle then briefly explained to him that in the time before the Avatar, they and the people of the world bent the energy within themselves, not the elements. During my visions of Avatar Wan's life, I got a better understanding of what that meant. Bending is basically just another way of using chi, and it was initially taught to us by the lion turtles, who used Energybending to change something inside of select humans so that they could use their chi to command the elements, to defend themselves from spirits and other dangers when looking for food in the Spirit Wilds." Well, Mako and Bolin were more-or-less with her so far. They still didn't really see what that had to do with anything right now, though.

"...So somebody took their bending away and killed them?" Bolin asked, confused at what she was trying to get at.

"No. It's more like somebody took their bending away, and then just kept taking. They didn't stop." Korra responded gravely. "I know this feeling. Every time I used that power to restore somebody's bending, I felt it. The rush of spiritual energy, the potency of the chi, the heavy feeling that it left in the air – I was probably the only one who really noticed any of it. But it did not feel like a power that came from this world. It was the power of the Avatar – the power of a spirit – through and through. I don't know how or where the lion turtles got it from. I would assume they watched the spirits and learned the art in the same way we watch animals and learn how to bend the elements, but this... this is the same feeling. Whatever did this..." Korra gulped.

"...You were right, Mako. I don't think this is human at all. It's one thing to manipulate somebody else's chi, but to take it? You'd die the instant you tried to absorb it into your body." Unless, of course, you happened to be the Avatar. The only reason that Korra could bend all four elements was because of Raava being bonded to her. To say that Korra held the power would be only half right. The knowledge and the ability was stored in Raava, an extraordinarily powerful spirit who was more than capable of containing that much power on top of her own. The Avatar's job was to gain access to this power by mastering the four bending arts and drawing out its full potential to do what no one bender could do and help bring balance to the world as Raava's emissary – Raava's avatar.

The only person who could conceivably steal another person's chi as their own would be her, provided she loaded it into Raava for storage. She imagined that that was how the spirits of past Avatars used to be carried on through the generations, so that each new Avatar in the cycle could contact an Avatar before them; that Raava took pieces of their chi and their spirit and stored it inside of herself so that they could be contacted again at a later time. There was nobody else like that in the world, except for maybe Unalaq, but she'd taken care of him years ago. In her mind, the only possibility was that this was a spirit. The degree to which these bodies had been drained combined with the potency of what she felt in the air left no other choice.

"But wait – if this is just Energybending, wouldn't that mean a human could be doing it after all?" Bolin asked. After all, Aang and Korra were humans and they could Energybend.

"Don't you remember what I told the Chief yesterday?" Mako asked. "Korra and Aang are Avatars, they aren't exactly human. They're more like half human, half spirit. I don't think an ordinary person could learn this sort of an ability." He explained, the younger brother remembering now. Right, right, he'd forgotten about that.

"But still, why would a spirit be doing this? Don't they usually just mind their own business or attack when we make them angry somehow? And even then, they usually disappear people, not kill them." Well, Bolin wasn't wrong. Korra wasn't sure why a spirit would be doing this, either, but... this feeling... this residual energy... more than just the power of Energybending, she could feel traces of spiritual power, as well. The kind you only felt from the spirits themselves after they'd left an area. She was 100% certain: _this was not human_.

"So even Republic City isn't safe..." Surprised, Mako, Bolin and Naga all immediately turned around while Korra tilted her head, an old man dropping the paper bags of semi-fresh produce he was holding in his hands, his body visibly shaking. He'd just been taking a nice walk back from the market – this was the last thing he expected to run into. "I can't get away... it's coming back for me..." He panicked, his shaking growing even more intense. Korra looked over at Bolin, the two of them sharing a worried glance. "Coming back for him"?

"...What's coming back for you?" Korra asked, stepping forward and placing her hand on the old man's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. But he just continued to panic, feeling as though he were about to have a heart attack.

"It's back... it's here too... I thought it was gone... I thought it was..." He seemed to be completely unresponsive, unaware that Korra was even there.

"Sir, what's wrong? What's back? What did you think was gone?" The old man raised his head shakily, looking Korra directly in the eyes, his dark brown ones welling up with tears, petrified by the sight of the three bodies in the street. Just looking into them, Korra knew – he'd seen this before. "...You know what did this." The older civilian nodded silently. "...My name is Korra. I'm the Avatar. I think that this may be some sort of spirit, and I'm trying to track it down. Can you tell me what you know about this?"

"The Avatar...?" The old man asked. Now that she mentioned it, she did look slightly familiar, but he wasn't sure. But it didn't matter. If she really was the Avatar, then maybe... just maybe... taking a deep breath, he grabbed hold of Korra's shoulders, the look in his eyes changing as he spoke, becoming infinitely more serious. "The Chi Eater." Mako and Bolin just looked at each other – they'd never heard of it. Korra narrowed her eyes.

"The Chi Eater?" She asked, confirming the name.

"Yes... I thought it was just isolated to my village... I never in a thousand years would have thought..." He continued, not daring to look over at the corpses again. They reminded him of too much. "...50 years ago, when I was a young man... my village, on the eastern shores of the Earth Kingdom, was being terrorized by a monster. It attacked our people for over a month... it killed them, turning them into empty husks, devoid of life and chi... we reached out to Avatar Aang for help, but by the time word got out to him and he had arrived, it was too late. The killings had stopped, and the monster was gone. There was nothing he could do but tell us that whatever attacked us was not human... he thought we may have angered the spirits. Our village was still recovering from the after effects of the war, as was our land. He tried to help us get back on our feet, hoping it would stop it from coming back. It never did, but... I had lost too many people I knew to that... thing. I couldn't stay. So I moved to the city the Avatar had created. I thought I would be safe here..." He explained.

Korra thought for a moment. Aang had dealt with this thing before, too? And it wasn't isolated to just Republic City... if this was a spirit, why would it be traveling like that? Normally, spirits are attached to certain areas of the land, or objects, or sometimes even buildings or people. But she'd never heard of a spirit traveling and killing people before. The old man continued. "...We came to call it the Chi Eater, because of what it did... Avatar Aang called it an angry spirit, but I knew... I always knew it was more than that... this is no spirit..." Korra raised an eyebrow. What was it then? "...This is just a monster." He concluded, turning his head away, feeling as though he was about to cry. All these years, he thought he was safe. But now it was here, too. "It's come back for me... it already took away my wife and children, it wants to finish what it started... it's angry..." He lamented.

Korra wasn't sure what to say. This was unlike anything she'd ever encountered before. She wanted to tell him he would be fine, but... she honestly couldn't say that for sure. She had no idea what this was. It felt like a spirit, but... "...I'm not going to let that happen." She finally said. "Avatar Aang didn't know the whole story. He wasn't around _while_ the attacks were happening, and he had no idea that it traveled like this. Spirits don't like to move from their chosen sacred spots, they usually hold some deep significance to them or their origins are somehow intertwined." Korra explained. "Whatever this is, I know about it now, so now, I'm going stop it. You can count on me." The elderly gentleman nodded. Spirits knew there was nothing _he_ could do.

Korra crouched down, picking up the man's bags of groceries and handing them back to him, offering to walk him home. He nodded, feeling much safer with the Avatar at his side. "Thank you, Avatar." Korra just smiled, glancing behind her and motioning for Mako, Bolin and Naga to follow, which they did. "Please... don't let it rip this city apart, too. By the time it was through with my village, 12 people had died... don't let this get that far..." He warned. Korra nodded. Looked like she had her work cut out for her.

"I won't, I promise. And you can just call me Korra." She replied, smiling. Walking the man the remaining three blocks to his home, as she saw him inside and he closed and locked the door, she let loose a sigh, rubbing her head and turning to Mako and Bolin, Naga sensing her frustration and nudging her head under the girl's left arm with a whine, hoping to help calm her down. She smiled, thanking the polar bear dog for her concern.

"I hate it when you're right, you know that? Why can't you ever be right about good things?" Bolin complained to Mako, trying to lighten up the mood to no avail. Seeing his and Korra's still grave faces, Bolin frowned. Maybe now wasn't the best time.

"What are we going to do?" Mako asked. He was at a loss. An Energybending monster, traveling the country killing people for over 50 years? This was even worse than he thought, and the mention of a 12 person death toll just made him even more anxious. It had already killed 5 people in the span of a couple of days – was it really going to be killing 7 more? Or would the death toll be even higher? This wasn't some small village on the coast, this was a sprawling metropolis, rife with prey. If Mako wasn't worried before, he certainly was now.

"I don't know. I've never even _heard _of anything like this before. First things first, we need to go tell Lin about the three cops we found... she isn't going to be happy about this." Korra lamented. Mako sighed. She was probably going to blame herself. She could be a bit of a hard-ass, but Lin DID care about her men. She wasn't going to take this sitting down. "After that, I'm going to go see Tenzin. Maybe he'll have some ideas as to what's going on." Mako nodded. For now, that would probably be the best course of action. He hated this. This... powerlessness. Even with the Avatar, they were just getting more questions than actual answers. Every time they took one step forward, they took two steps back to counter it. To call it frustrating would be understating it.

"Don't worry too much about it, bro. I know things seem bad right now, but at least now we have a better idea of what we're dealing with. And Korra's on the case with us! We'll have this thing sorted out in no time!" Bolin exclaimed, patting his older brother on the back, trying to boost his morale. They weren't going to be making _any_ progress if they just gave up and whined about it. While he couldn't be as confident as his brother, Mako smiled in response nonetheless. He knew his brother was right. But still, he just couldn't help but get a bad feeling about all of this. Could you really blame him?

"Well, let's get back on Naga and head over to the precinct. The new building's in the expanded Eastern District." Mako replied. They had a lot to fill the Chief in on. If this thing was going to kill more people, then they had no time to waste.

"Right. Let's go." Korra said, motioning for Naga to stand up, the large white dog ready to take them wherever it was they needed to go.

* * *

><p>Lin smashed her fist into a nearby wall, nearly punching a hole right through it, large cracks emanating from the impact site as the room momentarily shook, Bolin wincing while Mako and Korra stood their ground, a defeated look on their faces. "How could this happen... did you get their names?" She asked. Mako shook his head silently, the chief of police letting loose a sigh, sitting back down behind her desk. She should've known better. She should've just listened to Mako in the first place, that this thing wasn't human. Now, she was down three officers and had some really difficult visits to make to the victims' families. This part of the job never got easier, no matter how many years it's been.<p>

"...They were killed in the exact same manner as Kazuo and the unidentified body downstairs. We won't have much to go on until Dr. Lou rehydrates them, but we can probably crosscheck missing officers with the names of those assigned to the area tonight. I'm sorry. Whatever happened, by the time we got there, it was..." Mako trailed off. He wasn't really sure what to say.

"I should've known better. I just sent three men to their deaths against an enemy we know next to nothing about. What was I even thinking?" She asked. Korra had never really seen Lin like this before. She wasn't sure if it was just because of the three officers, or because of everything going on with the city lately, or all the unknowns about whatever it was that was behind this, or some mixture of the three. But whatever it was, she was different. She looked like she was at the end of her rope, like she was about to break. Just how much had she been taking onto herself since Kuvira's attack?

"Chief, you can't blame yourself. You were just doing what you thought you had to in order to try and keep the citizens safe. You couldn't have known this would happen." Mako reassured. Lin already knew that, and it certainly wasn't what she really wanted to hear right now, but Mako was right. She knew he was right. But that wasn't to say she wasn't still pissed off that this happened and even more pissed off that it was her fault directly. She was the one who increased patrols. She just never expected that they would be targeted directly. This "Chi Eater" had balls of platinum.

"I know now." She spoke up, catching Mako's attention. "And now that I know, I'm not going to stop until we put this thing in the ground. Spirit, monster, human, it's all the same. This city and this police force is _my_ family, and if you attack my family, you are going to pay the price." There was nothing to be gained from wallowing in regret and self pity. Now was the time for action. They finally had their first substantial lead on this case – a name and a behavioral pattern.

"Whatever this thing is, we know it's nomadic. It's attacked at least two different places in the last 50 years. This tells us that it's old – if it's not a spirit, it might be something closely related to them. We also know that it doesn't differentiate between victims. Both the first victim, Two-Faced Kazuo, and these three cops were extraordinarily high risk for it to take on. They were benders, and powerful ones, at that. If we combine this with the understanding that it's using some form of Energybending to absorb the chi of others, then it might be safe to assume that it will primarily be targeting benders due to our high levels of chi as compared to the rest of the population. This thing is smart, and strong. It made it out of at least two fights without sustaining any major harm or leaving any traces behind and it cut a police cruiser clean in two. We cannot afford to underestimate it again." Lin explained, going over everything they knew about the Chi Eater and drawing the best conclusions she could from the information available.

"But there's one thing I don't get." Bolin spoke up, everyone in the room immediately looking in his direction. Normally, that'd catch him off guard, but this time he appeared to be deep in thought, holding his chin with his thumb and index finger. "The hand print." Korra raised an eyebrow.

"Hand print? What hand print?" She asked.

"Two-Faced Kazuo and the unidentified victim downstairs both had minor discolorations in their facial area. Bolin picked up on it when we first looked at Kazuo's corpse." Mako explained, catching Korra up to speed. "When the bodies are rehydrated, the discolorations become a bit more pronounced and look like a distorted hand print. They almost look like they've been burned into the skin, but Dr. Lou, our medical examiner, says that if they are, it's not from Firebending or anything else that he's aware of. He's at a loss as to what caused them."

"Exactly. If this thing isn't a human, why would it be leaving hand prints behind? How many human-shaped spirits are out there?" Bolin asked.

"More than you might think, actually." Korra replied. "I saw a lot of different spirits during my time in the Spirit World, and some of them do have very human or ape-like hands. It's not a stretch to assume that it may be one such spirit. Spirits also have the ability to change their shape. Back when I was wandering the world for 6 months trying to find myself, a spirit came to me in the form of a little dog and led me to Lin's mom, Toph. So this thing could be taking on the appearance of a human in order to try and blend in. If it's only interested in killing for whatever reason, then it might make sense." The Avatar explained. This only concerned Lin further.

"That would mean this thing is a _lot_ more dangerous than we thought and that all of this is premeditated – it knows _exactly_ what it's doing. If its only purpose is to kill then that means it's going to be next to impossible to stop it. We have to find this thing and take it down before it eats the chi of the entire city." What Mako had told her about it killing 12 people before moving on 50 years ago worried her. If that was indicative of some sort of a pattern, then this was only just beginning.

"But if it's hiding its true form as a person, then how are we going to find it?" Mako asked. It was bad enough they still didn't really know what kind of a spirit or similar creature this thing was, but now it could shapeshift? Seriously, how much worse could things get? He could feel another surge of pain coming from his left arm. Maybe Bolin was right, maybe he should have Korra check it out later. That thing was really starting to bother him, lately...

"Leave that to me." Korra replied. "Even if it's taking on a human form, I should be able to sense its spiritual presence if I know to look for it. But that's the problem. I'm going to have to constantly be on alert, and we still have no idea how to find this thing. By the time we left Dragon Flats, the horrible presence I'd been feeling was already starting to dissipate, meaning it doesn't last long and what we stumbled onto was really fresh. Until we know how this thing selects its victims and where it's hiding out, finding it is going to be next to impossible."

"Well, we know it seems to be isolated to the Flats, at least for now. All 5 of its victims so far have been from or in that area, meaning Lin was on the right track in sending out extra patrols. I think we should focus on searching there for a while, starting tomorrow." Mako suggested. Korra supposed it wasn't a bad idea. She couldn't really come up with much else. "We can't count on it staying there forever, but it's the best chance we've got right now of finding it." Lin nodded.

"In the meantime, tonight, we'll do our homework. Korra, you go see Tenzin, ask him about this "Chi Eater" and if Aang ever talked to him about it. See if you can't get any ideas out of him. Mako, Bolin, I'm going to need you two to work overtime tonight. You two are going to help me call in some favors and search through some old records. Somehow I get the feeling that Republic City and some random Earth Territories village aren't the only places it's popped up in the past 50 years."

"Yes ma'am!" Mako and Bolin saluted, while Korra simply nodded in response, hugging Mako and Bolin before leaving to go find Tenzin.

"I'm sorry, guys. I was really hoping things would stay calm for a while and that we could just hang out again like we used to." She apologized. Today had been a lot more eventful than she'd been hoping. Maybe her good vibes from the other night weren't so good, after all.

"Don't worry about it. We can relax once we put a stop to this thing. But until then... I've got your back. For real, this time." Mako assured, smiling. Korra smiled back, nodding, happy to have the Mako she knew back. With that, she walked out the door, running for the incomplete stairwell to make it downstairs as fast as she could, heading out the door to hop back onto Naga's back and get back to Air Temple Island as fast as possible. Meanwhile, Mako and Bolin returned to their desk, receiving instructions from their Chief as to who to call and what to ask for – some of the places they were calling weren't even in the old Earth Kingdom territories. When they asked why, all Lin would say was that she "had a hunch", leaving it at that.

Well, whatever the case, one thing was sure – these four sure had their work cut out for them tonight.

* * *

><p>Just as she'd left it almost an hour prior, Korra returned to Air Temple Island swimming directly through Yue Bay with Naga, boosting her speed and alleviating some of the work for the large polar bear dog with her Waterbending, foregoing the dock in favor of swimming straight onto the shore. Once the dog's paws hit the sandy beach, she immediately launched herself off of her back, apologizing to Naga for running her around so much tonight before running off herself, hopping up the steps with an Airbending boost and running straight for Pema and Tenzin's room.<p>

Though it was still rather early in the evening, she figured that he'd have retired there by now to catch up on any paperwork in regards to the recent activities of the Air Nation around Republic City during their reconstruction and relief efforts. Though she raised a few eyebrows from Air Acolytes that she'd passed by in her mad dash for the Airbending Master's room, upon seeing the look on her face as she sped through the island, none dared stop her or ask her what she was doing back so soon. It was pretty clear that something bad had happened – really bad.

Zipping through the halls, she slid to a stop just outside of the bedroom door, frantically sliding it open only to find the room completely empty. She cursed beneath her breath, sighing in frustration, trying to think of where else he might be right about now when she suddenly felt a familiar presence appear to her left, the voice of the man she was looking for questioning why she was here.

"...Korra? What are you doing back so soon? Is something wrong?" Tenzin asked, shocked to see the Water Tribe girl back so soon after departing. He'd _just_ gotten Oogi back from the Air Acolytes, who'd made mention of how Korra had taken off with Mako and Bolin and Asami had returned to her Estate alone, something about the two of them needing her help with a case they were working on, something the Acolytes didn't have any details on. But, given the look on her face and how heavily she was panting, clearly, something must have happened.

"Tenzin, thank the spirits, I was looking for you." Korra began, still trying to catch her breath, now leaning onto the frame of his bedroom doorway for support. "Something bad has happened. Really, _really_ bad." She explained. The look on Tenzin's face immediately shifted from one of concern to dire seriousness, motioning for Korra to enter his room and sit down at the chair in front of his desk in order to explain what was going on.

"Tell me what happened." He requested after she'd finally regained her breath, the blue-eyed girl immediately complying, telling Tenzin what Mako, Bolin and the old man she'd encountered in Dragon Flats had told her, and what she'd seen. She told him about the murders, the so-called "Chi Eater", the way the bodies appeared after it attacked, and how his father, Avatar Aang, had encountered a village it'd terrorized on the opposite side of the Earth Territories almost 50 years ago.

"Aang chalked it up to an angry spirit at the time, thinking that because of how badly the land had been polluted and devastated during the war that the spirits were lashing out. I guess he thought they were becoming so violent because it'd been so long since the war had ended, and the land still wasn't back to how it should've been. But I don't think it's a spirit. Spirits don't usually kill people, and they definitely don't travel to the other side of a country to do it. I have no idea what this is. I was hoping Aang told you something, anything about it, or if you've ever heard of anything like this before? The last time this thing showed up, it killed 12 people and then disappeared without a trace, and it's already taken the lives of 5 in Republic City. I _need_ to stop it." She frantically explained.

The look on Tenzin's face was grim. This _was_ really bad. As if the reconstruction efforts and the Triad interference wasn't enough... this just wasn't Republic City's year, or Korra's. The poor girl had just gotten back and she'd already been thrust into such a dire situation again. But, unfortunately, this time, Tenzin couldn't be of much use. "...I'm sorry, Korra, my father never mentioned it before. I've never heard of this "Chi Eater" or anything quite like it." Korra let out a defeated sigh. All that running, and for nothing...

"However, I do agree with you that this does not sound like a spirit. I have no idea what sort of creature would have the ability to Energybend, let alone to such a devastating degree, but a spirit wouldn't travel to two separate places on opposite shores. Then again, the two cases could be unrelated. Perhaps they're two separate spirits entirely, one angered by its devastated land, like my father supposed, while this one has been angered by what Kuvira did to Republic City with that weapon of hers. But that almost seems like even more of a stretch." Korra agreed. While she had to admit that it _was_ possible, it also seemed extremely unlikely. The way that man reacted... he'd seen this before. _Exactly _this. They had to be related.

"Well... there was something else." Korra mentioned, piquing Tenzin's interest. "When I was walking through Dragon Flats, I noticed something strange – there were no spirits. Anywhere." Tenzin remained silent. "Ever since Harmonic Convergence, Republic City has been crawling with spirits, especially in the old Downtown area. Dragon Flats may be on the very edge of it, but it wasn't exempt. Even before the Spirit Portal opened up in the middle of the city, I always heard that there were a lot in that area, so I'd have thought there'd be twice as many now. But I couldn't see or feel any. It was almost as if they'd run away, like they had when Kuvira attacked."

"...You're right, that is strange." Tenzin agreed, stroking his beard in thought. "I can't imagine why they'd run, spirits don't have much to fear from ordinary threats. Whatever this is must be quite unusual if it has even them on edge."

"Do you think they'd run away if they sensed the presence of a dark spirit? Like Vaatu, or any of the ones he corrupted during Harmonic Convergence?" Korra inquired. Vaatu was gone, but... who was to say there weren't more spirits like him? Spirits that craved death, and destruction. There were countless different types of people. Who was to say the same didn't go for spirits?

"I think they might, yes... but would that really fit the circumstances? Vaatu is long gone, at least for another 10,000 years. I don't think his influence would still be extending to our world today, let alone 50 years ago." Tenzin explained.

"Maybe not, but maybe there are more spirits like him out there. Maybe this is one of them." Korra theorized. Tenzin was unsure. Vaatu was a special case, from what he understood, a primordial spirit and the antithesis to Raava's creative power, the Yin to her Yang. That there would be another spirit so bent on destruction seemed odd to him, especially not without an antithetical partner, but he couldn't discount the possibility. Not completely.

"I don't know, I suppose it's always possible... I'll tell you what, I'll go through some old books and scrolls that my father and the Air Nomads had collected and put together on spirits over the years and see if I can't find anything in there. Perhaps I can find something more on Energybending, at the very least." Korra nodded. It was better than nothing, she supposed.

"Thank you, Tenzin." She replied, giving the Airbending Master a hug. He couldn't help but remain concerned. This did not bode well for Republic City at all.

"Of course. In the meantime, I think you should get back to Asami's place and get some rest. You look like you need it." Tenzin suggested, referring to the girl's rather disheveled hair and clothes and the drained look in her eyes, something which was becoming more and more apparent the longer she talked. Today had been exhausting in almost every conceivable way, and she didn't really get much sleep during the tail end of her trip from the South Pole last night. You know, because she was excited to be returning to Republic City and everything. So to say she was tired right now was really understating it, especially after that mad dash across the island she just did. But after what she just saw back in Dragon Flats... how could she just go home?

Korra quickly recomposed herself, closing her eyes and flashing Tenzin her best fake smile, hoping to mask the true extent of her exhaustion. "I think I've gotten enough rest these past two months." She began, opening her eyes as she continued, looking a touch more energetic and determined than before. "Besides, somebody needs to find this thing and put a stop to it before it kills again. With Lin, Mako and Bolin and you researching it, I should be out there, in the city, chasing this "Chi Eater" down until you guys come up with something. At the very least, maybe I can push it back into hiding if it tries to steal another person's chi." She stubbornly replied. Tenzin could see right through her energetic facade, but Korra didn't really seem to care. It didn't matter how tired she was – she had to do this. She just had to.

"Korra, I don't think you should be going at this alone right now. You just got back to Republic City and you've been running around all day, you've hardly had time to readjust. I can tell you're exhausted. Just let me and everybody else see what we can't dig up for tonight and then we can all go at this with fresh eyes together tomorrow. Perhaps we'll find something that'll make it easier to track this thing down." Korra knew that Tenzin had a point, but she just felt... _wrong_ to not be doing anything. She was the Avatar. This – keeping balance between humans and spirits, assuming this was a spirit – was her job. How could she just ignore it and leave it to other people, even if it was only for one night? Though Tenzin had called her bluff, she refused to lose her composure, attempting to come off as alert and wide awake.

"Then at least let me help you look through your father's collection, maybe–" However, Tenzin wasn't having any of it.

"Go. Settle in with Asami, get some rest. You don't have to carry the load alone all the time, Korra." The Water Tribe girl let out a defeated sigh. He really wasn't going to let her do anything, was he? Honestly, arguing with him was just tiring her out even more. Maybe he was right. Maybe she _should_ rest. If just this was enough to tire her out, then maybe it _would_ be a bad idea to go looking for the Chi Eater right now.

"Fine. I don't really like it, but... maybe you're right. I just... I was so close, you know? It had _just_ attacked. If Mako, Bolin and I had gotten there just a few minutes sooner, then maybe we could've..." Korra gave up part way through what she was saying, frustrated by the thought. "It just doesn't sit right with me, seeing what I saw and being that close, just to let it run off and hide." She stated bitterly.

"It already did that by the time you three got there. There was nothing you could've done, and you're just going to get yourself hurt if you go out there looking for it now." Tenzin warned. Hurt, or worse. Republic City needed its Avatar right now, yes, but it also needed its Avatar _alive _and at 100%, and right now, she wasn't the latter, and if she rushed headfirst into this, she might not be the former anymore, either. As frustrated as she was by this whole thing, that wasn't her anymore. She knew that she was better off stepping back and gathering some information first. She just wished there was something more that she could do in the meantime.

"I know, you're right. I'll just go swing by the estate and sleep on it, I guess." Korra said in defeat. "Thank you for helping out, though. Really. I feel like I'm going to need a lot of it with this one." She smiled weakly, still struggling to maintain her 'awake' facade. Tenzin simply nodded, smiling back. Korra never was one to let others see her vulnerable.

"Of course. Do you want to stay on the island for the night? I could always put you back in your old room until tomorrow if you want." He offered. Korra shook her head. It _would_ be easier, but...

"No, Asami's probably waiting for me. Besides, Naga will be doing most of the walking, I think the two of us can make it back to the Sato Estate. But thanks for offering." Korra hugged the Airbending Master one more time, saying her goodbyes and walking out the door and back toward the beach immediately afterward. She really hated when that man was right, sometimes. Defeated, she climbed back onto Naga's back, directing her to take them to Asami's mansion and dipping back into the bay one more time as they made their way over to Korra's new home.

* * *

><p>Having now made it to the Sato Estate, Korra and Naga slowly but surely made it up the many stairways situated outside and around the mansion, growing more and more exhausted with each passing step. Naga had carried her master on her back up the first flight, but by the time they'd reached the second and third leading up to the mansion's front door, she was about ready to throw Korra off her back herself if she hadn't willingly dismounted, apologizing once again for working her old friend so hard today. This was just too much. Who the hell actually thought this was a good design idea?<p>

I mean, yeah, it looked cool, but it certainly didn't _feel_ cool to walk up on ~2 hours of sleep. By this point, she was seriously considering bringing up the possibility of installing an elevator or something to Asami, _anything_ in favor of the multiple staircases ascending almost three stories before you even made it to the front door. Not exactly the most welcome way to get back home if you happened to be exhausted from running around town all day holding press conferences, reconnecting with friends and family, getting into fights with ex-boyfriends and accidentally stumbling onto fresh crime scenes like Korra was. Just another day in the life of the Avatar.

Dragging themselves up the last flight with what little energy they had left, finally, they made it to the front door, Korra tiredly walking through first with Naga following close behind, the two of them finding themselves greeted almost immediately by one of Asami's servants – the same butler who was working there almost 4 years ago, when she'd first visited this place with Mako and Bolin. Seemed that not much had changed around here since she'd last swung by... everything was still exactly the way she remembered it, from the paintings on the wall to the staff walking the halls.

"Ah, Avatar Korra, Ms. Naga, Ms. Sato has been expecting you. She is currently in the master bedroom on the second floor, finding space for your things. I am sure she will be delighted to see you." Korra groaned. Great. More stairs. She didn't expect to have to hike the equivalent of Mt. Makapu _just_ to make it home. Maybe she'd recommend that elevator after all.

"Who ever thought this many staircases was a good idea? I'm exhausted." She complained, hunching forward for a moment before picking herself back up, looking over to the large staircase situated in the middle of the room that led up to a balcony hall which wrapped all the way around the second story of the impressively sized foyer, a large number of doors leading to an equally large number of rooms and interior halls which snaked through the mansion's less public areas. She more-or-less remembered where the master bedroom was located, the problem was just mustering up the remaining energy to get there.

"The downside to having your estate built atop a hill, I'm afraid." The butler explained unnecessarily. Korra was just being facetious. Not that he didn't pick up on that, but she was in no mood to even pretend to be annoyed at him right now – one more flight of stairs awaited her. "Oh, right, she also wanted me to let you know when you arrived that Ms. Naga may sleep in the master bedroom with you two. It is quite large, and a place has already been prepared by the bed for her comfort." Asami had thought of everything, it seemed. It was still an odd thought to Korra though, the thought of 'theirs'. 'Their' mansion, 'their' room, 'their' relationship – even now, it was still so fresh and exciting to her, so new. But, she couldn't say she didn't like it.

"Thank you. The master bedroom is in the center of the house, right? In one of the connecting halls on the second floor?" She asked, wanting to confirm her suspicions as to not get lost, something that was quite easy to do in such a large building. She was pretty sure she wasn't wrong, but it _had_ still been a while since she'd been here. The butler nodded in response, Korra thanking him for the confirmation before she and Naga begrudgingly scaled one more flight of stairs, walking through the first door to the right of the top of stairway and finding themselves in the first of the many halls of the Sato Estate.

For this middle part of the mansion, the second floor was essentially set up in a double, almost 'H' shape, with two long halls running down the building to the right and left and then two smaller halls cutting through the middle and connecting them. The first connecting hall, close to the two doors leading back to the foyer, was near to where the lady's powder room and Hiroshi's old home office was located, which was now Asami's. Meanwhile, the second connecting hall, further down and closer to the center of the mansion, was where the master bedroom and its adjoining bathroom were located.

As Korra and Naga made their way down the lavishly decorated halls to their destination, Korra took a moment to marvel at the large, mahogany doors to the bedroom in front of her, almost smirking at the ostentatiousness of it all. Hiroshi sure did have a thing for showing off, didn't he? Korra was going to be living in the lap of luxury from now on. Pulling the large, wooden doors open, as they walked into the room, the two of them found Asami currently placing the last of Korra's belongings onto a shelf by the bed, clearly surprised to see her here so soon.

"Korra? Hey, I didn't think you'd be here until later." Asami began, walking to meet her new fiancee in the middle of the large bedroom while Naga headed straight for the bed that'd been prepared for her in the top left corner of the room by the bed, collapsing straight down with an overworked sigh as soon as she'd stepped onto the cushion. It'd been a long day for just about everybody. Korra flashed the green-eyed girl a weak smile in response, but as she walked past, it quickly faded, prompting Asami to raise an eyebrow. She looked a little upset. "Is everything alright?" She asked, knowing from the look in her fiancee's eyes that they weren't. Still, she wasn't going to pry if Korra didn't want her to. She may have found it easier to be open about how she was feeling when she was around Asami, but that didn't always mean that she wanted to talk. Still, she'd always lend the invitation, just in case.

"No, not really." The young Avatar sighed, the engineer giving her a concerned frown as Korra collapsed onto the large, king sized bed situated in the back of the room, falling initially face first into the welcomingly soft mattress before rolling over onto her back, the look on her face becoming more openly discouraged as she did. This was about more than just some physical tiredness and an unholy number of stairwells.

"Three people died tonight. Cops. Some _thing_ attacked them and turned them into these... these... mummy-like shells. Literally everything had been drained out of them, _minutes_ before Mako, Bolin and I got there. We never even made it to the crime scene we were trying to get to in the first place. And now, instead of trying to chase after it, I'm being told to just sit here, get some rest and do nothing for a night while everybody else buries themselves in books and scrolls trying to figure out what it is. I should be out there trying to find this thing and stopping it, not laying here barely able to keep my eyes open." She vented, grunting in frustration at her body's limitations. It was bad enough that she'd spent over two months more-or-less just goofing off in the Spirit World, but her lack of sleep these past couple of days were really starting to catch up to her, especially after all that running and climbing.

Asami's frown grew deeper as she took a seat onto the bed next to Korra, the blue-eyed girl just lying there, staring up at the ceiling. As Asami gently grabbed hold of her hand in a show of loving support, she turned, facing the industrialist. Again, she smiled weakly, completely exhausted and finally feeling at home enough to really show it. She looked like she was running on empty. "I'm sorry you had to see that, it sounds horrible... but there's no shame in taking care of yourself. You told Mako the same thing, didn't you?" Asami asked. Well, maybe not in those words, but Korra supposed she'd mentioned it... "It's been an eventful couple of days, neither of us have really gotten much sleep. Between coming back from the Spirit World, to the excitement of our betrothal, to everything we went through today, I'd be surprised if you _weren't_ completely exhausted right now." She said.

"I'm the Avatar. In times like these, I don't really have the luxury of being exhausted." Korra sighed. "Apparently, this thing has struck before, 50 years ago on the other side of the Earth Territories... Avatar Aang looked into it back then, but by the time he showed up it was too late. It had already killed 12 people and disappeared, and apparently, it's already killed 5 in Republic City in the span of a couple of days, including the three officers we just found tonight. They call it the "Chi Eater". What it did to those cops... its presence... I honestly have no idea what I'm up against right now." She laughed, as if she were amused by her own frustration. She tightened her grip on Asami's hand, catching the girl's attention. Korra was clearly upset, maybe even a little afraid. The last time she went up against a spirit, she lost her connection to over 10,000 years of Avatars and almost died. Whether or not this thing was an actual spirit or something else was irrelevant, almost everything about this had her on edge, and she had no idea what to do.

"Well, right now, the best thing you can do is just get some sleep. You've gotten, what, maybe 6 hours in the past 2 days? Let everybody else work through the night for a change. If things really are that bad, then it'll be better if you go at it at 100%." Asami replied, essentially repeating what Tenzin had told her earlier. Korra knew she was right – they were both right – but at the same time, if something else happened while she was asleep...

"I know. I just feel like I should be out there doing _something_. Anything. It's frustrating, you know?" Asami glanced downward, tightening her own grip of her fiancee's hand before falling backwards into the mattress right beside her, the two of them just lying there staring at the ceiling hand-in-hand, their legs hung limply over the side of the bed. Asami understood Korra's frustration, but she shouldn't push herself too hard. She needed sleep, too.

"I know. But for now, I think you've done all you _can_ do. I mean, you've got something to work off of now, right? A name? Just leave the rest to Mako and Bolin and whoever else is working on the case for tonight. I'm sure you'll all come up with something tomorrow." Asami reassured, turning her head so that she was now looking directly at her fiancee, her warm smile lessening the burden on Korra's mind, just a little bit. Just enough. As if on reflex, she could feel the corners of her mouth turn ever so slightly upward in response. This girl, she swore – anytime she smiled, Korra really couldn't help but follow suit, even just a little bit. It was like Asami's ultimate weapon. Once she smiled, everything seemed just a little bit better than it was before.

"Yeah... I guess you're right. Tenzin told me pretty much the same thing when I was asking him about it. Honestly, I'd probably be searching the city right now if he hadn't insisted I come get some rest. I know the two of you are right, but... I'm not gonna lie. I'm a little scared. This feels different." Asami rolled onto her side so that her whole body was now facing Korra, reaching up with her free hand to brush a lock of hair from the blue-eyed girl's face, maintaining her smile.

"I'm sure everything will turn out fine. I believe in you." She replied, bringing her hand to a rest by Korra's ear, looking directly into her eyes. Korra simply nodded in response, smiling weakly, but genuinely.

"Thanks." She replied, feeling a little less upset than before. "I really appreciate it." It was good to know somebody always believed in her, at least. Times like these, Korra could really start questioning herself, sometimes. Having somebody so openly support her and willing to listen to her was a big help. Yawning, Korra kicked off her shoes and pulled her legs onto the bed, too tired to change out of her normal clothes and resigning herself to sleeping while fully dressed again. All this talk of people trying to convince her to sleep was just making her sleepier, so she might as well oblige. There really wasn't anything else she could do tonight, anyway. It was a bit early in the evening, but given how much sleep she had to make up for, it didn't really matter.

Dragging her way over to a pillow by the right side of the bed, as she did, Asami decided that she might as well follow suit and stay by Korra's side for now, crawling over to the pillow on the left. She didn't really have anything else to do tonight, and if she was being honest, she was pretty exhausted, too. Maybe not as exhausted as Korra, but still – the Avatar wasn't the only one who hadn't gotten much sleep in the last few days, even if what little they _had_ gotten was some of the best they'd ever had. As Korra laid on her side, she drew her knees up halfway to her chest and left her arms half-unfurled in front of her, feeling her eyes growing heavy as Asami mimicked the position and remained facing her, grabbing hold of the darker skinned girl's hands once she had, smiling.

Finally feeling herself begin to drift off, as she closed her eyes, Korra put the events of the evening to the back of her mind until she woke up tomorrow, intent on enjoying her first night together with Asami formally sharing a bed. It wasn't just _a_ bed, or Korra's old bed back home, it was _their_ bed. This wasn't just Asami's home anymore, it was Korra's, too, now. They might not have been a full-fledged married couple yet, and maybe wouldn't be for another few years, but as far as Korra was concerned, they might as well have been. Either way, though, this was definitely something she could get used to, and for the first time in almost 3 years, she was genuinely looking forward to the future. If this was how things were going to be from now on, then maybe everything would be alright after all.

* * *

><p>As sunlight filtered in from the skylight above and onto her face, Asami stirred, waking from her slumber to find herself the only remaining occupant in her bed. She could hear the sound of running water emanating from the master bathroom next door, a little bit of steam crawling out from under the door and into the bedroom. It seemed that Korra had woken up early today, seizing the opportunity to hop into the shower before Asami got up and likely hogged it all to herself for an indeterminate amount of time. Yawning and stretching out her arms above her head as she arose into a sitting position at the edge of the bed, as she draped her legs over the side and her feet grazed the floor, she could hear the water come to an abrupt stop, almost as though Korra knew that her fiancee had just woken up. Coincidence? Yeah, probably, but the timing made Asami smirk, anyway.<p>

The clicking of small, taloned feet on glass and the muffled singing of birds came from above as the green-eyed girl gazed upward, a couple of blue jays having gathered onto her bedroom skylight, a relatively recent edition to her home that she'd added in order to help bring some natural light and energy into her room – something she'd been severely lacking before. Being an interior room, there weren't really any windows to speak of, and to her, that just made it feel kind of like a dungeon. But that one little modification to the roof and ceiling fixed everything, also giving her the opportunity to stargaze from her bed on suitably clear nights. All things considered, it was one of her favorite little modifications to her otherwise rather impressive home.

Rising up from the bed and walking over to Naga, still asleep in the corner of the room, Asami gave the polar bear dog a gentle 'good morning' pat on the head and proceeded to scratch under her chin, prompting her to roll over onto her side in approval, refusing to open her eyes and wake up to greet the day. Understandably, she was still pretty tired from all the running around she'd done yesterday. Smiling, Asami made her way over to the closet she now shared with the Avatar, picking out her clothes for the day and getting ready to hop in the shower, herself, now that Korra was done. While Korra would likely be heading out to continue chasing down leads on that "Chi Eater" thing, Asami had a company to get back to and well over a dozen new projects to review. Though the ways in which they contributed were different, they both had their jobs to do in service to Republic City.

As Asami finished compiling her outfit for the day, Korra stepped out of the bathroom, already mostly dressed and ready for the day, finishing drying her hair with a little bit of Airbending. _"How convenient..."_ She thought. With hair like hers, it almost made the engineer wish _she_ could Airbend. In fact, that actually gave her an idea... while she contemplated the invention of the hair dryer, Korra greeted her fiancee for the morning.

"Oh, hey there, sleepyhead. 'Bout time you got up." The Avatar teased, giving Asami a peck on the cheek as she walked by, looking around the room for where she'd left her shoes.

"Hey, Korra. I'm actually surprised you got up so early, especially considering how tired you were last night. Normally I'm the one waking up first." Asami replied. Korra, however, disagreed.

"That was just when we were on vacation, I'm actually used to waking up pretty early for training." She corrected, locating the items she was looking for under the bed. "Now that we're back and I've got Avatar stuff to do again, I don't really have the luxury of sleeping in anymore." It was a shame too, she really liked whiling away the morning hours just lying there with Asami, but... like she said, now that the two of them were back to their normal lives, she didn't really have that luxury anymore. "Besides, I've got to get back to the station as soon as possible and see if Mako and Bolin have made any progress on this "Chi Eater" thing. It might have gotten away last time, but with any luck, either they or Tenzin will have found something that'll make sure it won't next time."

Asami smiled. Korra certainly seemed to be in a much better mood today. She was glad, she really hated seeing her so frustrated and dejected like that. "I'm sure they have by now. Good luck out there." Korra smiled back.

"Thanks, you too. I know that you've got your work cut out for you as well, now that you're back in charge of your company and in the middle of rebuilding the city and everything." Hopefully Asami would make it more navigable than it was yesterday, that was really annoying. Asami nodded, walking over to the Water Tribe girl and returning the peck on the cheek that she'd given her earlier, moving in the direction of the bathroom door to get ready for the day when a knock at their bedroom door caught both girls by surprise, Asami's butler announcing the arrival of some guests looking to speak with the two of them in the foyer. Guests? Asami hoped it wasn't more press. She really didn't want to have to deal with them so early in the morning, especially not without having even taken a shower yet.

Making their way downstairs, the two girls were surprised to find President Raiko and one of his aides waiting for them in the middle of the room, his hands folded behind his back and his typical stoic expression adorning his face. As they made their way down the central staircase, he nodded, wishing them a good morning. "Sorry to be bothering you two again so soon. I actually just wanted to speak with Korra right now, but I guess there was a bit of a miscommunication. I was surprised to learn from Tenzin that she'd moved in here yesterday evening... though, after the way you two ended that press conference yesterday, maybe I shouldn't have been." Raiko began, the two girls grinning sheepishly in response.

"Right, sorry about that... we actually did have some other things we needed to get to, and the press _never_ would've let us go after a bombshell like that." Korra explained, rubbing the back of her neck. The President smirked. The press was something he had to deal with quite a bit, himself – he understood where she was coming from. "Anyway, what was it you wanted to talk about?" She asked, Asami admittedly becoming a little curious, as well, opting to stay down here and listen in while the two of them talked.

"Chief Beifong just filled me in on the case you and your friends have been working on lately, that "Chi Eater" one? I understand that you stumbled across the remains of a couple of cops it had attacked... my condolences. Things in Republic City seem to be getting more and more dangerous by the day, even with Kuvira's threat taken care of." Korra frowned. She'd kind of put what she'd seen last night out of her mind until Raiko brought it up again. She was beginning to remember why she was so eager to get back out there, now. She didn't ever want to have to see that again.

"I was actually about to head back to the precinct right now and see if Mako, Bolin and the Chief discovered anything new last night during their investigation. I want to stop this thing as much as you do, sir. Maybe even more. I've seen what it can do firsthand, and I've felt its presence... I am going to do everything in my power to put an end to this." She explained, the tone of her voice deathly serious. Raiko nodded yet again.

"I'm sure you will. I have the utmost faith in you and your abilities, Avatar Korra." He smiled. "But that's actually not why I wanted to talk to you. There's going to be a big mover premiere in the Pro Bending Arena tonight, it's going to be a really big event. It's going to be free to the public and will probably attract quite the audience as a result, and the mover's star, Ryuuki Ayatsurishi, will be in attendance and donating a large sum of money to the reconstruction efforts before it begins, in order to help rebuild some of the more often overlooked areas of the city, such as Dragon Flats. I'm not sure if Varrick ever got around to inviting you two, but I would like for you attend the premiere tonight, regardless. Given everything that's been going on lately and the exact nature of this "Chi Eater" that's been prowling the streets, I would feel much safer having the Avatar in the audience; as too would the citizens of Republic City, I'm sure." He explained, a very 'Oops' look flashing across Asami's face when he first mentioned the mover premiere.

She'd completely forgotten to tell Korra that the two of them had been invited to that thing like she'd initially intended to last night. Though, given everything that'd ultimately transpired, she never really would've had the chance, anyway. "Oh, right, I was actually going to tell Korra about that last night, but other things ended up getting in the way. Varrick kind of indirectly invited us through Ravi the other day." Asami explained, Korra raising an eyebrow in response. A mover premiere? She couldn't say she'd ever been to one of those before. In fact, she'd never been to see a mover _at all_ before. I mean she'd _heard_ of them, yeah, but she'd never actually seen one in person. She had to admit, she was curious.

"A mover premiere, huh? That does sound pretty interesting. Honestly, I'd rather be prowling the streets myself looking for this thing, but if it's going to be that big of an event, it might actually end up drawing its attention..." She thought aloud.

"My thoughts exactly. Lin assures me that she and her police force have everything covered in terms of security, but we still don't know what this thing is for sure and I don't want to take any chances. This is a very important event for the city, and not just because of Ryuuki's donation. I would very much appreciate having you in attendance." Raiko reiterated, Korra nodding in agreement. Like he'd said yesterday, the people could use a little pomp and circumstance to take their mind off things right about now, if only for a little while. Having the Avatar there would make people feel a lot safer and willing to take part. Besides, she had to admit that she was a little excited, it would be her first mover premiere. Hell, her first mover period! If everything went well, maybe she could turn this into her and Asami's first real 'date' in the Physical World. Though, she supposed her 'tour' of the Southern Water Tribe when she proposed to her kind of counted, too. But still!

"Alright, sounds like a plan." Korra replied. "I'll be there. And, if that "Chi Eater" does show up, I'll be sure to give it a good ass whooping while I'm at it so we can get right back to the mover." She declared with a crooked grin, pounding her fist into her open hand, admittedly a little eager to see some action again even despite the circumstances. Raiko smiled.

"Excellent. If Varrick invited you two, I'm sure he already has your seats arranged in the VIP section with the rest of us. I look forward to seeing you there tonight." With that, Raiko left the two girls to the remainder of their morning, his aide bowing before turning around and following the President out the door. With Raiko gone, Korra turned to face Asami, admittedly a little excited, even despite the circumstances. Hopefully everything would turn out alright tonight and she'd actually get to enjoy her first mover.

"Man, I've heard of movers before, but I've never actually seen one. I know I should probably be more focused on the "Chi Eater", but I'm really excited. Hopefully it just lays low tonight and we can make a date out of it." She smiled, Asami giggling in response. On the one hand, it almost sounded a little irresponsible, but on the other hand, it could also just be seen as making the best out of a bad situation. The President _really_ wanted Korra to attend either way, so why _shouldn't_ she try and make the best of it? She'd just have to be sure to pick a dress that was both elegant and functional for the premiere, that way she could still fight if she had to. ...In fact, maybe she'd just wear a suit. While she thought it over, Asami replied.

"That'd be nice. I've wanted to take you to see a mover for years, I went and watched them all the time back when you were still recovering in the South Pole. You're going to love them, trust me." The green-eyed girl assured, Korra's smile remaining strong as ever. "Anyway, I should go take that shower now, I've gotta go get ready for work. I'll see you tonight." She finished, pecking Korra on the lips, the Water Tribe girl blushing slightly. She'd had a few dates in the Spirit World (hell, that whole damn vacation was basically just one great big two month date), but they never felt so _official_ before. She knew that she shouldn't, but... she had high hopes.

"Right, see you tonight. Have a good day at work!" Korra called as she ran out the door, waving goodbye to her fiancee. It was time to go see what everybody else found out overnight and track down this "Chi Eater" before it caused any more problems, particularly for the premiere. Just some more incentive to, as Lin had put it, "put this thing in the ground".

* * *

><p>Making her way to the second floor office, Korra was greeted with a much busier police precinct than she'd left the night before, almost every detective and veteran officer on or previously on the force having been gathered and put to work in the room talking on phones, going over incident reports and flipping through files, some of which looked to be very old <em>and<em> very foreign.

Confused, she scanned the room for Mako and Bolin to no avail, their desk covered in papers but otherwise unoccupied, a large map of the world having been set up on a bulletin board behind it. Upon closer inspection, she could see that a number of spots on the map had been marked in red from all across the Earth Territories, Fire Nation, Water Tribes, and even in the general vicinities of the old Air Temples. What was all this? This couldn't _all_ be about the Chi Eater, could it? Somehow, she got the sinking feeling that it was and that things were about to get a_ lot_ more complicated.

Noticing the Avatar's arrival, Korra was greeted by a rather familiar – albeit unexpected – face, former Captain and Chief of Police, Saikhan. "Avatar Korra, the Chief's been expecting you. She and Tenzin are currently in her office, along with Mako and Bolin. I don't know what it is you managed to uncover here, but it's huge." He explained, only serving to confuse Korra even more. Didn't Saikhan retire years ago? And why was Tenzin here? Had he found something last night after all?

"Saikhan? What are _you_ doing here? What's going on?" She asked, clearly unhappy to see him. The last time she saw Saikhan, he was bowing to Tarrlok's every whim and had thrown her friends in jail. She still wasn't over that. The former cop flinched, admittedly a little intimidated by Korra's presence.

"I was called in late last night to help out with this case of yours, everybody was. Chief Beifong needed all the help she could get once she realized the full extent of what was going on here. I'm sure she'll explain everything, just go to her office and talk to her." He recommended, clearly trying to hurry this long, a nervous on his face. Thankfully, the phone on the desk to which he'd been temporarily assigned began to ring, the former police captain breathing a sigh of relief – a perfect excuse to bow out of this conversation before Korra did to him what she did to Kuvira.

Korra's eyes narrowed. If Lin had called Saikhan of all people back, then this really couldn't have been good. Following the man's instructions, Korra made her way to the back of the room, opening the door to Lin's office and finding Mako, Bolin, Tenzin and the Chief all standing there discussing the current case, just as Saikhan had described. Currently, they seemed to be looking over another map that had been pinned to the wall, this one of Republic City.

"...Tenzin? What are you doing here? What's going on out there?" Korra asked, grabbing the four's attention. Noticing his friend's arrival, Bolin energetically waved hello while Mako, Lin and Tenzin simply turned in her direction, clearly relieved to see her here.

"Korra, good. We had a major break in the case last night – _huge_. We're pretty sure that what we're dealing with is a spirit now, and a nasty one at that. This thing has been wreaking havoc around the world for centuries." Lin explained, Korra's confused look now being compounded with one of shock. Did she just say _centuries_? Korra was beside herself – that had to be some sort of mistake. How in the hell could this thing have been killing people undetected for _centuries_? I mean, by now, at least _one_ other Avatar would've had to have encountered it, right?

Aang was one thing, he was just operating off of what little information he had at the time after the fact, but there was no way a spirit could be wreaking havoc in the Physical World for that long without the Avatar being aware of it – Korra was almost insulted by the implication. She glanced over in Tenzin's direction, hoping she'd misheard what Lin had said, but he nodded along in agreement, elaborating further while the Avatar's brow furrowed in frustration.

"I started doing some research into what you'd described to me last night after you'd left, just like I said I would. While I initially couldn't find anything, I received a call from Lin later in the evening, who told me she had a hunch that Republic City and that village on the eastern shores weren't the only place that this "Chi Eater" has attacked. She asked me to see if I couldn't find anything about similar attacks in any letters or journals of Airbenders I may have had. What I found were numerous reports, some dating back almost 900 years, describing monks disappearing from Air Temples around the world, only to reappear a couple of days later as dried up, chi-less husks – just like what's been happening in Republic City." _900 years_? They think this thing has been killing people for _900 years_?

"And that's not all. After doing some digging, we found reports from all across the Earth Kingdom territories, some of them even older than what Tenzin found. There've even been reports in the Northern and Southern Water Tribes and the Fire Nation. Each and every time, it's been attributed to local monsters or angry spirits, but the details are always _exactly_ the same. We think it's all just one spirit – the so-called "Chi Eater" that old man told us about last night." Mako tacked on. Korra shook her head, unwilling to believe what she was hearing. What, did they think past Avatars just twiddled their thumbs that whole time or something? None of this made any sense.

"That's not possible. If there's been a spirit killing people around the world for _that long_, one of the previous Avatars should have encountered it and stopped it by now. This has to be something else, there's just no way this can be a single spirit." Korra defended. They were talking about more than a thousand years of Avatars here – more than a dozen bridges between the two worlds tasked specifically with stopping things like this from happening. There was no way something like this could've escaped the attention of her past lives for _that_ long, it just wasn't possible. And yet... what other explanation was there? The evidence spoke for itself.

"Here, take a look for yourself if you don't believe me." The Firebender replied, handing Korra a freshly compiled folder detailing everything that they'd found out since yesterday evening. They'd been working around the clock calling political, police and military officials from around the world, asking about any and all similar cases and writing down the details. In exploring the City Archives, they'd even stumbled across some old Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation reports dating back to the time of the Hundred Year War that'd been collected and then forgotten about over the years, compiled by soldiers of both countries who'd encountered similar events in their respective homelands and launched separate investigations into the killings – both failing to turn up any new information. It was the same thing with every file, every report, every person that they talked to.

Every single time, it was the exact same story: People began to disappear, and in their place, bodies completely drained of water, life and chi were left behind, and while they were sure they didn't have _every_ case, they had enough to see a _very_ clear pattern coming into focus, one that even Korra couldn't deny. These attacks seemed to happen at very regular intervals, one month at a time every 25 years, and popped up all over the world, almost exclusively in smaller towns and villages or what were at the time small towns and villages, with exception to the Air Temples. It was only in the last 150 years that it seemed to begin targeting larger areas as well, presumably due to the higher concentration of targets.

While body counts between cycles varied, the time frame was always the same – one straight month of killings, then nothing for a quarter of a century, only for it to show up again in some other part of the world later on. If it weren't for that pattern, she'd be fine chalking this up to a bunch of unconnected spirits lashing out in the same way, like Tenzin had proposed last night, but this was just... Korra grit her teeth. How could this have happened? How could the Avatar have failed so spectacularly for so long? The evidence was overwhelming, but she still couldn't believe it. She _refused_ to believe it.

"No, this can't be right. This is too deliberate, too well-planned. Spirits do _not_ act like this. They don't go traveling around the world killing people and eating their chi, they don't act on 25 year cycles, and they _definitely_ don't avoid bumping into the Avatar for more than a thousand years while doing it. There is no way that a spirit could be doing all of this. I would have known. Avatar Aang would have known. Avatar Roku would have known. _Some_ other Avatar would have known." She declared.

"Korra, I can understand your frustration, but I'm afraid that the evidence speaks for itself. This thing has been eating people's chi for almost 1,100 years in the exact same way and in the exact same pattern. I'll admit, its behavior is incredibly unusual – unbelievably so, even – but there is nothing else that could live that long and kill in this way _but_ a spirit. I'm sorry." Tenzin sorrowfully explained. He knew that Korra didn't want to believe it. The idea that there was a spirit out there as malevolent as Vaatu which was determined to avoid the Avatar's gaze greatly troubled him, too, but... there was just no other explanation. This was the only thing that fit.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, kid. This thing's smart – really smart. Yeah, the Avatar's failed to stop it, but that was by design. Look at everywhere it's attacked – these are small, isolated villages. Every time it attacks, it gets written into legend as just some local monster in that area's mythology or explained away as an angry spirit lashing out for a lack of respect. With exception to the Air Temples, it never attacks the same place twice in the same century, and it _never_ goes back if a place becomes too big and expands into a city. It's even changed nations in an attempt to throw people off its trail. The only time it has ever changed it's M.O. is 150 years ago – when Avatar Aang had disappeared and the Avatar cycle was presumed to be over for good. It did everything in its power to avoid you, but ever since then, it's gotten cocky and started attacking cities, too, and now, as a result, we're finally onto it." Lin explained.

"Yeah, and the world is more connected now than it was even 25 years ago, the last time it attacked down on the southern peninsula. The world is more global and united than ever before, and we can call these places up on the telephone and trade information almost instantly. In the past, this thing relied on the division between villages and nations and the lack of instant communication to get around undetected. None of that exists anymore, at least not to such a large degree." Mako added on.

Korra sighed. They _all_ had a point. Unless there was an eleven hundred year old human running around that had met with a lion turtle and learned the art of Energybending, this had to be a spirit. "I don't want to believe it, but... maybe you're right. Maybe this thing just outsmarted the Avatar cycle. Maybe the Avatar failed. I just don't understand why a spirit would attack people and eat their chi, or why it would act in cycles like this. It just... doesn't make any sense to me." But then, neither did the alternative. Much as she hated to admit it, this was the best theory they had right now, even if it did make Raava and her past lives look bad.

"That's why this is still an investigation. We don't have all the answers yet, but we're not done looking for them, either." Lin replied. "Now we know how long we have to track this thing down and put an end to it, once and for all. Factoring in the past few days, we have roughly 3 and a half weeks left before it turns tail and disappears for the next 25 years. There's still a lot we don't know, but what we've got will have to be enough." Korra sighed. So much for today being a better day. So far, this was actually turning out to be worse than last night was.

"Well, maybe not, Chief. That's actually why Bolin and I first came in here to talk to you. We may have found an eyewitness to the attack in Dragon Flats yesterday – somebody who saw the "Chi Eater" in person." Mako spoke up, catching the Metalbender's and the Avatar's attention while Tenzin glanced in his direction, stroking his beard in thought. A witness?

"What? Why didn't you say something sooner?" Lin asked.

"Well, we tried to, but then Tenzin showed up and you had us go update the map outside with the Air Temple attacks and add them to the case file, instead. _Then_ you were showing Tenzin where this thing had attacked in Republic City so far and started brainstorming ways we could catch it, so we kinda just listened in for a bit. Then Korra showed up!" Bolin replied, the look on the Chief's face clearly less amused than his, causing him to take a few steps back. Right. Rhetorical. She wanted names, not explanations. Before he could open his mouth to get on with it, however, his brother beat him to the punch.

"They call him "Gonzo". He's a mid-level member of the Triple Threats known for dealing contraband in the Dragon Flats area." Bolin frowned slightly. He really wanted to be the one to say it... oh well, he still had those earlier couple of breaks in the case under his belt. He supposed he could let his older brother bask in the spotlight for a bit as well. "Apparently, he was there when it happened and has been telling everyone in the area that he fought it and lived. I have no idea if he's telling the truth or not, but... it's something." Lin agreed – and something was better than nothing.

"It'll have to do. Take your brother and the Avatar to Dragon Flats and see what you can get out of this "Gonzo"." She ordered, Mako giving her a simple "Yes ma'am" in response. "And Mako – this case is bigger than Republic City. If you think this guy actually knows something, I want you to get him to spill it, no matter what. I am giving you full authority to do whatever you have to in order to make sure he talks. We _need_ to track this thing down, before it's too late. Whatever it takes. Do I make myself clear?"

The tone of Lin's voice and the look in her eyes was more serious than Mako had ever seen and more intense than Tenzin had seen since she'd resolved herself to step down as Chief of Police and hunt down her missing Metalbenders from outside the law back during the whole Equalist fiasco. Was she implying what it sounded like she was implying? Mako nodded hesitantly, in response, Bolin giving a concerned look while Korra seemed perfectly content with Lin's position, understanding it at the very least, if not outright supporting it. Korra wouldn't be willing to... ...would she? Bolin couldn't see it. But... "whatever it takes"?

"...Yes ma'am, understood. Bolin, Korra, let's go." Mako affirmed, turning and walking out the door, motioning for the two of them to follow. Korra obliged almost immediately, but Bolin stood there for a second longer, a little unsure of what the Chief meant exactly, but not quite sure he wanted to ask her for details, either. But there was no use waiting around here – he wasn't going to get left behind again, that was not going to start becoming a trend. After a moment of thought, he followed his brother and his friend, hoping that he wouldn't end up having to do something he didn't want to for the sake of the greater good. After everything that'd happened with Kuvira and her army, he'd seriously begun to see the flaws with that way of thinking.

"...Are you alright, Lin? I haven't seen you this upset since–" Before Tenzin could finish, the Chief of Police had raised her hand, cutting him off as she began to speak herself.

"This thing killed three of my men last night, Tenzin, and spirits knows how many others these past thousand years. If I have to end up consenting to the torture of some Triad lowlife to bring this thing's killing spree to an end, my conscience is clean." The Airbending Master was stunned silent, not really sure what to say. He'd never heard her so sure of something so... _wrong_, before. Even given the direness of the circumstances, he wasn't sure he could abide by such a thing if it ever actually came down to it. "Besides, Mako's a smart kid. I'm sure he won't let things escalate that far if they don't have to. If there's another way, he'll find it, Tenzin. Don't worry." He sure hoped so – for everybody's sake.

* * *

><p>"So, what do we know about this Gonzo guy, anyway?" Bolin finally asked as he, his brother and Korra made their way down the streets of Dragon Flats, starting the next road over from where they'd found the three cops' bodies last night, which was now closed off and considered to be an active crime scene. The car ride over here was deathly silent and more than a little awkward on the Earthbender's part. He'd wanted to say <em>something<em>, but what Lin said was still weighing pretty heavily on his mind, keeping him more confined to himself than he normally would be, hoping he wouldn't have to end up getting between Mako, Korra and their potential witness.

Their apparent acceptance of Lin's 'go-ahead' and general silence on the matter left him more than a little nervous. He really hoped they weren't seriously considering what he was afraid they were considering. I mean, they wouldn't right? Yeah, the Triads were bad, and they definitely weren't helping the city, especially not right now, but they wouldn't go that far to find this thing, would they? ...Would they?

"Just that he's a mid-level member of the Triple Threats and runs a few scams and shops around here specializing in drugs and contraband. Rumor has it he's a part time enforcer for the group, as well, and fearless to the point of foolish, a real thrill seeker. He doesn't scare easy." Mako explained. Great, just what Bolin wanted to hear. This guy didn't sound like somebody who would be particularly reasonable. Things were looking worse and worse by the second.

"Please, once he sees that you guys have _me_ with you, he'll be telling us whatever it is we wanna know. Just let me do all the talking." Korra replied with a smirk, prompting a shrug from the Firebending detective.

"Sure, whatever you want." Korra was probably right, nobody was dumb enough to get on her bad side after everything she'd done and been through, not even a 'fearless fool'. Or, so Mako hoped, anyway. He wasn't really sure he'd be able to stop her if she resorted to beating the story out of the guy, which, given Lin's go-ahead and the way she was acting back at the precinct when she'd heard how long the Chi Eater had actually been stirring up trouble, he begrudgingly had to admit was a possibility. Personally, he had no intention of doing "whatever he had to", he just wasn't sure if Korra felt the same way or not. "...Just, don't go too rough on him, okay? I know what Lin said, but–"

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing, Mako." Korra assured with a smile. "I talk a big game, but I'm not _that_ violent if I don't have to be. I have no issue with scaring the crap out of him, though." She laughed, Bolin breathing a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank goodness, I thought you two were going to like _torture_ him or something, I was beginning to worry there for a bit." The younger brother explained, holding his hand over his chest as if to stop his heart from leaping out of it.

"Yeah, I know. I thought it was pretty funny, honestly." Korra laughed again, catching Bolin off guard. Wait, were they being quiet before on purpose? _Were they just screwing with him that whole car ride __down here_?

"Yeah bro, you should've seen your face on the way over here, it was priceless." Mako replied, giving the Water Tribe girl a high five while Bolin just narrowed his eyes.

"Not funny, guys! You know what I went through with Kuvira's Army! I was seriously afraid I might have to stop you two from doing something very Kuvira-y for a minute there!" Mako's smile immediately faded. That was Kuvira's M.O., wasn't it? "By any means necessary", "The ends justify the means", "For the greater good" and all that jazz. He couldn't say he didn't see where his brother was coming from with that one, which just made him even more concerned about what the Chief had said in the first place. Was Lin _really_ willing to go that far? Yeah, the situation was looking pretty bad, but still, that was... "...Oh, hey, isn't that the guy?" Bolin asked, pointing to a man behind one of the many merchant stands lining the street, breaking Mako's train of thought.

The Firebending detective reached into his coat pocket, taking out a police mugshot that'd been taken of their supposed witness when he was arrested a couple of months ago, taking it from his file when he'd first heard he saw the thing responsible for the attacks. Comparing the face in the picture with the man standing behind what at least _looked_ like a Fruit Stand, he was sure – that was "Gonzo" alright. He just wasn't sure that was actually a Fruit Stand. If Mako had to guess, they were probably hiding their _real_ merchandise beneath and inside of that thing, maybe even keeping some stuff beneath a layer of actual fruit. The detective also made note of the other men nearby Gonzo – three of them, sitting in wooden chairs around a small table playing cards, chatting it up with the man manning the stand and one another. Given who they were, they were probably gambling illegally, too.

"...Looks like that's him. He's all yours, Korra. He's got friends with him though – judging by their clothes, two Waterbenders and an Earthbender. Bolin and I will have your back, but be careful." Mako warned, the Avatar cracking her neck and her knuckles in preparation. Finally, some fun. _It was g__o time_. Walking up to the stand with Mako and Bolin right behind her, Korra brazenly leaned herself over it, making no attempt to hide who she was or why she was here. She wasn't exactly somebody who could blend in even if she wanted to, anyway.

The new arrival immediately grabbed the attention of the Earth Territories man with the slicked back hair and pencil mustache stationed behind the stand, said man looking her over thoroughly. Now why did she look so familiar? Had they dated at some point? He knew the face, but he couldn't quite place it. The men at the table to his right almost immediately picked up on who she was though and began to sweat a bit, something she herself had picked up on, causing her to smirk. They just hoped their boss didn't start any trouble, they really weren't looking forward to fighting the Avatar today.

"...Summin I can help ya wid, miss?" He asked, a little unsure what to make of the situation. He swore he'd seen this girl before, but he _still_ couldn't place her. She was clearly Water Tribe, and he liked Water Tribe girls – hell, he was just dating three of them last week, at least until they all found out about each other. Was she one of them? ...No, she seemed more important than that. Who _was_ she?

"I don't know, you tell me, "Gonzo"." She replied confidently. That look in her eye... so _that's_ who she was. He was being paid a visit by the Avatar, huh? He thought she looked familiar. The man behind the stand gave a toothy grin, clearly amused. Well, today just got a lot more interesting – and, from his perspective, better looking.

"...Oho. I'd hoid da Avatah was back in town, din't expect ya ta come lookin' for lil' ol' me, tho. What's ya biznis wid Gonzo?" He asked, leaning onto his "Fruit Stand" as well, prompting Korra to step back. Okay, that was kind of a creepy pose coming from this slime ball.

"Oh you have, have you? Well, I've heard you and your pals have been stirring up a lot of trouble in Republic City lately. Maybe you _should_ have expected me." Korra stated, the Triple Threats member continuing to grin at her all-the-while, looking her directly in the eye. True to his reputation, he seemed to be completely unafraid, as though he still felt in control of the situation. "But I'm actually here about something else, today. I heard you saw what happened with those cops last night. If I were you, I'd start start talking, "Gonzo"." She warned, cracking her knuckles. Still, Gonzo continued to simply grin and stare, almost as though he were enjoying her little tough girl act. Which, of course, he was – to a rather disturbing degree, in fact. This was going to be fun, he just knew it.

"Ey, is dat a threat I'm detectin'? Not exactly da best way ta be gettin' infomation outta a prospective witness, if ya ask me. Ya best watch yo attitude, Avatah, or I might just turn ya down, y'hear?" Gonzo warned right back, remaining strikingly calm in the face of the single most powerful person in the world. Korra had to admit, she was a little impressed. He certainly didn't look like much, but he sure was confident. "But yeah, I know a lil summin summin 'bout what went n' happened Downtown last night, sum pretty crazy stuff, man. What of it? My infomation don't exactly come fo free, y'see, 'specially to da Avatah. I can't just go tellin' ya whateva wheneva. Ya gonna have ta pay up, foist." The gang member explained, bringing his head to a rest on his hand as he continued to stare with an amused expression.

"Oh, I'll pay up alright..." Korra said, pounding her fist into her hand. Again, Gonzo showed no fear, continuing to look her straight in the eye, but the men at the table were beginning to get a bit more antsy – something Mako and Bolin almost immediately took note of, getting ready to strike at any moment should the need arise. Honestly though, Gonzo's demeanor was starting to get a little creepy. He almost seemed _too_ calm and smiley, and he wouldn't stop staring at her eyes... it was really starting to throw her off.

"Again wid da threats. Ya gotta pretty lil' mind dere, but Imma 'fraid it's only got da one track, y'know what I'm sayin'? Ya want da deets, ya gotta giv me da respect I desoive. Odderwise, Imma just have ta close up shop n' let ma boys ere andle ya while I mosey on off, y'hear? I wanna help ya, really, I do, some scary stuffs been goin' on lately, took out one of our own. Got us all mighty pissed, y'hear? But Imma 'fraid dat Idda be sendin' da wrong message to da boys if I let ya treat me like dis n' still git what ya want, ya see? Rule numbah one of da streets, goily – respect ya eldahs, and dey might just teach ya summin." As much as this guy and his manner of speaking was starting to tick Korra off, she had neither the time nor the luxury to be arguing with him right now. Most low-level goons would've cracked the instant she got in their face, but he didn't – in fact, he seemed to be rather enjoying this.

Gonzo's 'boys' at the table rose from their seats, putting their cards down and facing the Avatar, watching her and her two friends very carefully, but making no further movements aside from standing up. Bolin gulped while Mako remained eerily calm and focused, Korra considering her options while Gonzo continued to smile and stare – he already knew what she was going to decide, but watching her stand there figuring out her position was fun. The three of them knew they could take down Gonzo's three goons no problem, that was a foregone conclusion – it would be simple, Korra could do it single-handedly in a couple seconds flat. Problem was, the instant they engaged them, their boss would make a run for it, leaving them completely without a lead.

She _could_ attack all four of them at once herself, but then she'd be running the same risk – guys like Gonzo were slippery little bastards, and Triad goons were always loyal and good at creating distractions. Any other day, she'd just say screw it and intimidate them with a little show of force, but that wasn't a risk she was willing to take today. She couldn't afford to let this lead slip away and Gonzo knew it. He knew the instant she asked him about what he saw that he was an important witness to her, especially given what it was he'd seen. She wanted that information bad and he couldn't wait to exploit that to its fullest. Sighing in defeat, Korra had no choice but to comply. She just couldn't take the risk. She'd tried things her way and this guy saw right through her – she'd just have to play this game his way. For now.

"Fine. What's your price?" She asked. Gonzo's grin grew. Just as he thought.

"Now dat's mo like it. See, if ya'd come ere a lil mo like dat, we coulda gotten down ta biznis a lot soonah. A'ight den, Avatah. Whatchu askin' fo puts me n' ma boys in a pecarious situation, y'feel me? So Imma need three things from ya. Foist things foist – alla dis Imma 'bout ta tell ya? Ya din't hear it from me. Ain't nonna dis gonna blow back on ol' Gonzo in any way, y'hear? Far as youse is concerned, I'm a reputable biznis owner and ma story will be treated as tho it came from such. Second – yo buddies in da blue back dere are gonna lemme go da next time dey see me and catch me inna... how d'ya say... awkwoid situation. Turn da odder way n' lemme skedaddle, just once, y'feel? N' finally, fo youse, Avatah – ya gonna call me 'soir' from now on, got it? Promise me dose three things, n' I'll tell ya whateva it is you wanna know." _Excuse_ her? _What_ did he want her to call him!?

"Just once? ...I don't like it, but this is too important. You have a deal." Mako replied. It was better than what Bolin had feared and Lin had given him full clearance to do should he have to, but the Earthbender couldn't help but get a bad feeling about this, anyway. He felt like this was going to come back and bite them in the ass in some way later, but... the safety of all of Republic City was at stake. A thousand year old serial killer spirit was infinitely more dangerous than some mid-level Triad lowlife. So for now, he cautiously sided with his brother, also agreeing to Gonzo's proposed terms. He didn't like it either, but for now, the Chi Eater took precedence. Having now dealt with the cop problem, Gonzo's focus shifted from the boys in uniform back to the Avatar.

Korra was much more reluctant to comply. It felt wrong just thinking about it, and the amused grin on that slimy bastard's face just made it worse. Looking back at Mako and Bolin, as they nodded for her to follow along, she growled, gritting her teeth. She didn't really have much choice in the matter, and she knew it. She was going to kill those two later on, she swore. "...Fine, 'sir', what happened last night?" Korra bitterly asked, Gonzo's grin becoming infinitely more self-satisfied. Just wait until he told the boss about this one.

"Good, good, ya loinin'! Right, so, y'wanna know 'bout da spirit, eh? Yeah, I saw it. Ya buddies in blue wuh patrollin' da streets mo heavily den usual so I knew summin had ta be up, y'feel me? But Gonzo's gotta biznis ta run, I ain't gonna go lettin no coppahs go crampin' ma style, I just had ta lay low fo a bit. But I was watchin', I was waitin', when alla da sudden, dis big black ding comes dashin outta da shadows, lookin mighty fierce, y'hear? It knocked ova summa ma moichandise while I ducked fo covah, and da cops came walkin outta deir cruisah, all pissed n' pissin' demselves, y'know? Dey tried bendin', dey put up a fight, but da ding, it shrugged 'em off like dey wudn't nuttin', it was like dey was hittin' some sorta grape jelly or summin." ...Grape jelly? Well, she guessed spirits were kind of gelatinous in nature when struck. They weren't exactly solid, but... well, it got the point across. It didn't react like a tangible object would, at least not a normal one. She'd encountered that before.

"Den it screamed, and it made dis ere crayzee-ass shockwave, y'see? Broke a lotta windows, knocked da cops down, destroyed whateva was left o ma moichandise. Dey got scared, ran back to deir cruisah, and dey wuh bookin' it! Like, dayum! But dis ding, it like, toined into a blur, and it to' da cah in two! It took da cops, it roughed 'em up a bit, and den it pinned 'em down. Dis freaky-ass light show went 'n came outta its mout, and den maybe 10 seconds latah, da cop it had was just dis... dis... kinda raisin lookin' ding on da ground, felt like I was gonna be sick. It did the same ding to what was left of da odders and den ran off, back into da shadows in an Eastahly direction, y'feel me? Towad da Bay. Den you guys swung by maybe 5 minutes latah, and da old man started yappin', so I took dat as my cue to mosey on out befo' ya buddies in da blue noticed me, y'feel? N' dat's all I know, promise." Mako, Bolin and Korra all looked at each other. If everything he just said was true, then it sounded like they were dealing with a spirit after all. Great, just what Korra _didn't_ want to hear.

"Thanks for all the help, "Gonzo"." Korra thanked, putting especially bitter emphasis on the fact that she was saying his name as opposed to calling him by his preferred title, causing him to chuckle. What a fun little meeting this had been. Korra turned around as if to walk away, but then stopped almost immediately after, Mako and Bolin raising an eyebrow while the men Gonzo had in waiting raised their arms, ready to strike. What was she planning? "Oh, and by the way – these two may be letting you go next time they catch you doing something, but I won't. In fact, I'm not going to let you go _now_, either."

Before anybody there knew what was going on, Mako and Bolin included, Korra had raised her leg high above her head, bringing it down with a powerful, Firebending-enhanced dropkick, smashing the stand the gangster was working behind in two and destroying whatever _real_ merchandise he may have been hiding under and inside of it in the process, completely catching the man off guard. She was cute _and_ crazy – Gonzo may have been in love. The goons to his right immediately sprang into action and bent in retaliation, but before Mako and Bolin could do anything to intercept them, Korra was already on it.

The two Waterbenders immediately sent streams of water at the Avatar, who intercepted them once they got close and bent them into spheres in front of her before sending them back full force at the two who'd created them, aiming for their heads and freezing them on contact. At the same time, the Earthbender between them stomped on the ground, bringing up a large cube-shaped chunk of earth which he sent flying with a spinning back kick as the two Waterbenders fell frozen to his right and left, Korra running straight into this attack and looking as though she punched right through the earth with her fist, bending it in two and then following it up with some Earthbending of her own as she came out from behind his attack, breaking his footing by shifting the earth beneath his feet and knocking him out with a rising pillar of earth to his face as he fell forward into the ground.

In only a couple of seconds, she'd destroyed Gonzo's stand and his merchandise, subdued his three companions, and before he knew what'd hit him, a powerful gust of wind Airbent in his direction had sent him flying back-first into the building behind him, prompting him to laugh right after impact as he fell to the ground on his hands and knees. How didn't he see this one coming? He'd fully expected her to lead with an assault, but neglected to factor in the potential of her ending with one. Seemed he'd gotten a little too wrapped up in toying around with her and ogling her eyes and had lost track of the prize as a result. This was why he was still just a mid-tier grunt.

"So disrespectful... but it's good ta see our Avatah's gotta lil' moxy. It's been a pleasuh, Avatah." Gonzo grinned, rising to his feet and dusting off his suit, walking away from his busted stand to check on his men, allowing the Water Tribe girl and her two "buddies in blue" to walk away unscathed. Even if he could bend, he had no intention of seeking retribution right now. Getting the Avatar to call him "sir" just once was all the payment – or payback – that he needed, especially when she was such a looker. What did he care if he lost a stand or two in the process? This was Triple Threats territory already, anyway – he could easily set up a dozen more an hour later. All-in-all, for "Gonzo", this had been a pretty good morning. Couldn't say the same thing for his goons, though. She really did do a number on them, didn't she?

As Mako, Bolin and Korra made their way back to the cruiser, the two bending brothers couldn't help but be a little awestruck. Why were they even here? Korra seemed to have everything under control all by herself. However, while they saw it as a victory to be celebrated, Korra saw it as an unwelcome revelation, letting loose an annoyed sigh. "So it's a spirit, after all. After everything you guys told me in the precinct, I can't say I'm not surprised, but... I don't know. Something still feels off to me, somehow. I feel like we're missing something." She explained, the two of them shooting each other a confused look. Missing something like what?

They knew she didn't want to think that there were more spirits like Vaatu out there, let alone that she and pretty much every Avatar before her over the past thousand years had been completely duped by this thing, but the evidence was pretty incontrovertible at this point, especially with Gonzo's eyewitness testimony. He may have been a bit of a sleazeball, but his story seemed legit. After everything they went through during Harmonic Convergence, the last thing Mako and Bolin wanted to deal with was more dark spirits, but that was just the way this cookie crumbled, from their perspective.

"Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough. It sounds like it might finally be leaving Dragon Flats and heading East for the rest of the city. We'll have to have the Chief put everyone on high alert and get some more patrols down here in the Flats and out near Yue Bay and the Harbor in the Eastern District; make sure they know to report, not engage." Mako thought aloud. The last thing they needed were more dead cops, especially given how stretched thin the department was already. Still, they couldn't let this thing walk away without even trying to look for it. They were a bit late to the party, but with any luck, it hadn't gotten too far or hidden itself too well.

"Isn't the Pro Bending Arena to the East, too, though? And Air Temple Island. We need to let Tenzin and the other Airbenders know, just in case." Bolin warned, Mako nodding in agreement. Korra's brow furrowed. That's right, the Pro Bending Arena... it couldn't know of the mover premiere, could it? Tenzin could take care of his own, Korra knew that, but she was beginning to get a bit worried about tonight's event now. She never even would've thought of that if Bolin hadn't brought it up.

"What about the Arena? Tenzin and Jinora can take care of Air Temple Island, but President Raiko told me there's going to be a big event at the arena tonight, a mover premiere. He wants me to attend in case anything goes down, but we should increase security there for tonight, as well. We should also do a sweep in and around the area and make sure it isn't already there just waiting for people to show up. If this thing was smart enough to actively hide from my past lives for a thousand years, it's smart enough to know how to stage an ambush." Korra mentioned. Mako agreed, but he was confident that it wouldn't be getting in so long as he and the Chief were in charge.

"Don't worry about it, Lin and I will be handling security there and I know that place like the back of my hand, there won't be a single vent left unguarded. Come tonight, there won't be a safer place in the whole city. You make a good point about it already being there, though... once we get back to the precinct, I'm going to see if I can't get the go ahead from the Chief to let you and Bolin to help me do a quick sweep of the place and start setting up security now to make sure it doesn't show up at all anytime between now and the premiere." Korra nodded. Sounded like a plan.

"If you're attending the premiere, does that mean Asami's coming too? Ooh, would that make this a date? I hear the mover they're showing, "The Dancing Dragons" is a romance... what a perfect setting for–" Before Bolin could even _think_ of a way to finish that sentence, Korra had smacked him in the back of the head with an Earthbent rock. Not hard enough to knock him out or draw blood or anything, just enough to hurt him and get him to stop talking. "Ow! Okay, okay, I get it, I'll shut up, let's just get back to the precinct and start setting up security..." He groaned, rubbing the back of his head.

Korra smiled, walking on ahead of the two brothers and taking her seat in the back of the car. If there was going to be any possible way for her to enjoy herself with Asami tonight, she was going to make sure she found it for sure. And if that thing _did_ show up... she was going to be ready for it, and she was going to end it.

* * *

><p>"Today's top story: Bending More Than Just the Elements: Avatar Korra and Future Industries' Asami Sato <em>Engaged<em>!? During an impromptu press conference late yesterday afternoon, the recently returned Avatar Korra and her traveling companion Asami Sato were blindsided by a question from our own Liu Shang, seemingly confirming what rumors have been speculating for well over a month and a half now: the Avatar and the CEO have entered into a romantic relationship – and it's _serious_! What does this mean for the future of Republic City and the direction of Future Industries?"

The radio within the Guard's Breakroom played at full blast, much to the chagrin of the prisoner who could hear it loud and clear through the small square room's wide open door, the voices of Republic City's press she'd always found mind-numbingly annoying comprising almost 75% of what she heard these days. She honestly couldn't wait for them to just execute her at this point, she'd gladly do it herself if they'd let her near some earth or metal – anything to not have to listen to this drivel anymore. Who even talks so candidly somebody else's private life like that? She didn't care what anybody thought, there were a few places that would've been better under her rule by virtue of no longer being allowed to exist.

As Kuvira sat there in her wooden cage, the guards stationed on this platform with and around her stood as her only remaining connections to the outside world, them and that damn radio of theirs. If she were close enough, she'd bend whatever metal she could out of that thing and destroy it, but they made sure to keep her weak. Barely fed, barely sheltered, barely tended to in any major capacity – she'd essentially been left here to rot with an audience until the court stopped dragging its feet and gave her the death penalty everyone was expecting, herself included. Not even that madman Zaheer, whose mess she was initially tasked with cleaning up, was executed. She really must've meant a lot to them, huh?

She wondered if maybe those Beifong sisters had something to do with it? Or maybe it was President Raiko himself, for what she did to Republic City. She couldn't really blame them if they did, any of them. It's the same punishment she would've sought out for somebody of her caliber were she in their position. Examples had to be made, right? _Everybody_ was talking about it as though it were a foregone conclusion now.

She felt like she'd had this train of thought before. But days blended together out here, you lost track of time, of thoughts. She wondered if Korra was really going to be weighing in on her trial or not. She wondered if maybe she'd come pay her a visit sometime. The way they'd left things back in the Spirit World... it almost seemed as though she got it. Like maybe she understood Kuvira and what she was trying to do. Would Korra be abandoning her, too? Would she come and try and play 'friend' to Kuvira? Would she try to persuade her to change? Would she just stand by and let them kill her?

Would she let Korra stop them if they tried?

As confident as she was that the Avatar would try to spare her life, what she wasn't confident of was whether or not she herself wanted to be spared. What did she have to live for or go back to, to work toward? There was nothing left. Her empire was gone, her fiance was gone, her home was gone, the only one even remotely close to a mother to her was gone. She had lost everything, and all of it was her fault. If Korra was anything like Aang, she'd probably deliver some spiel about how forgiveness and non-violence were important, and acceptance was the first step to the road to recovery, and how she should be allowed to atone for her crimes... but why should she even bother? She had nothing left to live for, and they'd never let her out of prison, anyway, even if she was spared. What would even be the point?

Kuvira half-closed her eyes, looking downward as she sat there in the center of her cage, her arms around her knees and her face half buried behind them, wondering if any of what she'd done was ever really worth it. She'd thought about that a lot since surrendering. How much of what she accomplished was worth the pain she went through to accomplish it? Had she ever actually accomplished anything? She'd heard about how the Earth Kingdom wasn't even going to be a Kingdom anymore, it was going to go back to the way it was before she found it and forged it into an empire, back to a bunch of independent states. What was she even trying to prove before? That she could be the Avatar? That she could be like Su? That she could bring balance through force?

All that she'd proved was that she was a fool.

The radio changed stories as the guards continued to talk amongst themselves as though she wasn't even there, talking about the mover premiere tonight they wouldn't be able to see on account of being stuck with the "Great Uniter", and about the new bodies that'd shown up from what they were now calling the "Chi Eater" case. Though details remained sketchy on the latter, it seemed that Korra was now working with the police on a spiritual angle on the case. First day back in the city and they already have her cleaning up another mess. Kuvira wondered if maybe she was somehow responsible for this one, too. Had her weapon angered the spirits? Would this mean that Korra wouldn't be able to take part in her trial, after all? How many days did she even have left at this point?

How much could the Avatar balance at once, she wondered, and how much would it matter if she just completely forgot about her? Would she mind if she did? After all, everybody else already had. If Korra had forgotten about her, she could understand. That would be okay. She'd already resigned herself to her fate anyway, all she had left to do now was wait. She just wished they'd hurry up and get on with it already. She wondered if maybe they were just trying to make her suffer and drive her insane by leaving her here alone so long like this. If they were, it was working – this was not the kind of life she felt herself fit to lead, a life of solitude. Maybe that suited a mad monk, but her? An empress was a social creature; she'd rather die a dog than live alone. It was all just a matter of time.

...But she thought she knew now, what she'd say if Korra ever remembered her. What she'd say if she ever saw her again. She just wondered now if she'd ever get the chance to actually say it. "I'm sorry". She whispered it beneath her breath, broken, drawing the attention of no one. If she shouted it at the top of her lungs from the highest mountaintop, still, no one would hear her, but still, the apology would remain no less sincere. But she guessed sometimes words just didn't cut it anymore. "Sorry"... what did it matter? Her damage was done and there wasn't a single soul left on this continent that would be willing to forgive her. The only way that she had left that she felt like she could properly apologize now was just to let them kill her.

Her will had been broken weeks ago, she was done fighting. Done hoping. Whether Korra intervened or not now was irrelevant to her... she'd made up her mind. All she had to do now was wait.


	5. A Night at the Theater, Part 1

_**AN:** Right, so this chapter took forever and a day to write for a variety of reasons, but most of it boils down to two things in particular. First, I got sick and I was way too miserable and foggy headed to really want to write much of anything for like a week and a half, which really messed with my flow and took me a while to recover from, and second, this chapter is a bit of a weird one, being one of those intrinsically foggy "in-between" chapters filled with a lot of setup and character interaction and development which takes place between the end of one major event and the start of another, making this a bit closer to Chapter Three than anything else, albeit perhaps a bit more relevant than even that. _

_But, we've finally made it - the night of the premiere is finally here and the first two-parter of "Forever" is upon us. I was originally going to give this and the next chapter a subtitle, but I think "A Night at the Theater, Part 1" and "A Night at the Theater, Part 2" will work well enough, no? It's a relatively minor detail I can always come back an edit at a later time if I ever change my mind, so eh, whatever. Well, without any further ado..._

**Chapter Five**

**A Night at the Theater, Part 1**

"This is worse than I thought..." Tenzin thought aloud, a defeated expression hung upon his face. The Chi Eater was finally on the move, and according to what Korra had just explained to him, it was strong – three Earthbenders at once didn't even phase it. Even Korra couldn't help but agree that they were dealing with a spirit now, even despite her earlier misgivings. What Gonzo had described was just too dead-on to be anything else. "Are you sure he said that it was heading toward Yue Bay?" He asked, wanting to confirm. He felt that an event as large as the mover premiere would be more at risk than Air Temple Island would be, but then again, if what Lin had theorized was true and this thing was targeting benders specifically, then an island full of Airbenders may be just as alluring to a chi eating spirit, if not more.

Due to the lack of details uncovered by previous investigators, unaware of the true scope or nature of what they were dealing with, they still had no idea how the Chi Eater chose its victims or whether it preferred benders or non-benders, or even whether it could differentiate between the two. They still didn't know what made this thing tick or what had initially prompted it to start killing, let alone why it had dragged things out for over a thousand years. They didn't even know why it ate chi in the first place. For all Tenzin knew, this thing could physically taste the chi of others and has been itching to feast on the chi of another Airbender ever since they were presumed to have gone extinct almost 200 years ago. He had no idea how much danger his family was in, or his people. All he knew was that they were, and given what they were up against, there was very little he could do to stop it if it attacked.

"...We're sure, yeah." Mako replied, a sympathetic look on his face as he watched Tenzin's sink even more. He could tell that the Airbending Master was worried. To be honest, he couldn't blame him, he was worried too. There were just too many unknowns here, and the fact that this was a spirit just made it worse. They really didn't have much hope going up against one of those. "Maybe you should recall the Airbenders. Head back to Air Temple Island and get everybody up to speed. Now that we know this thing is on the move, nobody east of the old Downtown district is safe until we find it and stop it." A task that was far easier said than done.

"No, Republic City needs our help now more than ever, I'm not going call everybody back so long as we're still able to do some good out there. But I _am_ going to warn them of the situation and begin evacuating Air Temple Island of whoever's left. Right now, the best way that the Air Nation can avoid this Chi Eater's detection is to do as we've been doing and scatter ourselves to the winds, helping out around the city as much and as thinly spread as possible. The less people on Air Temple Island right now, the better." Tenzin explained, looking over at Lin, hoping that his assistance here was no longer required. There was a lot that he had to go fill the other Airbenders in on and a lot of people he had to oversee the evacuation of. It wouldn't be easy finding temporary shelter for them, but... like he'd said, the less concentrated they were right now, the better. He _had_ to protect his people.

"Go, your family needs you more than I do. You're just taking up space here." The Chief replied, showing about as much in the way of legitimate concern as she was capable of. He'd done enough here for one day – he had his family and a fledgling Air Nation to worry about now. Before Tenzin could leave, however, Korra stopped him and gave him a brief hug. He wasn't the only one that was worried about the Airbenders, and he also wasn't the only one who was going to be doing everything in their power to defend them – Korra was just going to be doing it from out here, tracking this thing down and putting an end to it before it ever reached his shores.

"I'll stop this thing before it ever reaches Air Temple Island, Tenzin. I promise." Korra said.

"Be careful, Korra. We still don't know the full extent of this spirit's power. Even for the Avatar, this will be no easy task." The old master warned, concerned for the young Avatar's well being.

"I know, don't worry. You just focus on handling the Air Nation – I'll take care of the Chi Eater. After all, I beat Vaatu, right? And he was the spirit of eternal darkness and chaos. This isn't my first dance with an evil spirit." Korra replied with a smile, hoping to boost the dejected Airbender's morale a little more. She was nervous, too, but... she was the Avatar, this was all a part of the job description. She could do this. She knew she could.

Letting the Airbender go, once he exited the room, Lin immediately returned things to business as usual. Now that they had a better idea of just what it was they were up against, it was time to formulate a strategy. "So, Avatar, what's the battle plan?" She asked. Korra thought for a moment. Most normal forms of bending were ineffective against spirits, minor distractions to them at best, but even distractions could be useful if utilized properly. However, it was no secret that if they were going to be trying to take one down, Korra was going to be the key. Whatever plan they came up with, she would invariably be at the center of it.

"I'm... not entirely sure, to be honest. Fighting a spirit isn't anything like fighting a bender. Most attacks won't phase them and they aren't completely tangible. They can walk through walls, destroy machines from the inside out, possess humans and have incredible speed and strength. Sometimes, they can even turn their own chi and spiritual energy into a weapon, like Vaatu, or what Kuvira replicated with that cannon of hers." Korra explained in brief. Lin had never fought a spirit, herself, but Korra's description wasn't exactly psyching her up for the challenge. It sounded like a pretty one-sided battle, to her.

"But that isn't to say that they can't be stopped. If a number of benders can manage to distract it for long enough _and_ can manage to contain it, then I can bend the spirit's energy with the purification technique I learned from Unalaq, restoring its internal balance of positive and negative energy, which should pacify it and send it back into the spirit world." The emphasis being on the word "should". There were a lot of things that this spirit already "should" have been but wasn't, and Lin wasn't going to take any chances. "Should" wouldn't cut it.

"And what if that doesn't work? We already know that this is no ordinary spirit. What if there's no imbalance to be fixed or nothing to be purified? What if your spiritual mumbo jumbo doesn't cut it?" Korra fell silent, closing her eyes and thinking it over, Mako and Bolin turning their heads to her while waiting for an answer. If Unalaq's technique didn't work, then yeah, that would be bad. She wasn't entirely sure what to do then. Given the way that the Chi Eater's actively tried to avoid the Avatar and never made any demands to the people or villages it's attacked, but rather just showed up and began to kill people and eat their chi, she got the feeling she wouldn't be able to reason with it and convince it to stop.

It may have been lashing out like a dark or out of balance spirit, but it was acting like one that was fully aware of what it was doing. If that was the case and the Chi Eater simply wanted to kill people for whatever reason, then she'd have no choice but to fight it head-on. But if that were to happen, could she actually defeat it, or destroy it? Did the Avatar actually have that kind of power? Even Vaatu couldn't be destroyed completely. Wan had opted to seal him away for 10,000 years and Korra had managed to use Unalaq's technique to draw Raava out of him and defeat him temporarily, but one day, he was destined to return. Did that go for _all_ spirits? Or was Vaatu just a special case, because of his other half, Raava?

She could always _try_ to lure it into the Spirit World and seal it away in the Tree of Time, but she didn't think that she'd be able to contain it long enough to take it there, and it definitely wouldn't follow her, which meant that her only other choice would be to face it directly and give it her best shot. If she entered the Avatar State and had some assistance from Raava, then _maybe_ an attack bending all four elements simultaneously would be enough to destroy it, similar to what an Avatar State Aang once tried to do to Fire Lord Ozai before opting to take his bending away, instead. But that was a big maybe. It was a gamble, but it was the best thing that she could come up with. Opening her eyes, she finally replied.

"...If that doesn't work... it's a gamble, but if I were to enter the Avatar State and receive some assistance from Raava, then it _might_ be possible for me to destroy it. Forever." Or, so she theorized. To her knowledge, it had never been done before, so for all she knew it _could_ be impossible, but if the purification technique didn't work, then it was her only hope. Initially, the Avatar was created to keep balance between humans and spirits and to ensure that they respected one another and existed together in harmony, but sometimes that just wasn't possible, and in such times, the Avatar would need to have the power to do whatever they had to in order to maintain balance.

It stood to reason, then, that if reasoning with it, beating it back and even attempting to purify it didn't work, that the Avatar would have power enough to outright destroy a spirit, effectively erasing it from existence – an Avatar's last resort, you could say. If she and Raava acted as one and the Spirit of Balance lent Korra her strength, then it might just be possible. After all, spirits may not have felt threatened by humans, but they could feel threatened by other spirits, which meant that they _could_ die. It's just that no ordinary human could ever hope to kill one, even with their bending. Maybe Korra couldn't, either, but she wasn't an ordinary human, so if anybody _could_, then it probably would be her. She just hoped she didn't ever have to find out. Like she'd said, it was a gamble, but if all else failed, it would be her only hope.

A grave look adorned the brothers' faces while Lin stared Korra straight on, stonefaced, her eyes doing all the talking and expressing that she needed. After what the Chi Eater did to her cops, she was determined to bring this thing to an end by any means necessary, even if that meant literally ending it. Besides, after killing humans for a thousand years for seemingly no other reason than its own enjoyment, in Lin's eyes, such an ending only seemed fitting. Deep down, part of her kind of hoped that Korra's purification technique failed, just as deep down, part of Korra kind of expected it to – like Lin had said, this was no ordinary spirit. A thousand years would be a long time to remain out of balance, even if you _could_ theoretically exist forever. In the back of her mind, she already knew how a battle with the Chi Eater was likely going to end.

"Very well." Lin finally replied, satisfied by Korra's answer. Perhaps more important even than a last resort was the resolve to actually go through with it if push ever came to shove, and from what she could see in the Avatar's eyes, Korra had that resolve, and that was good enough for her. Gamble or not, in a worst case scenario, it was the best chance they had of taking this thing down. She just had to make sure that Korra was willing to give it a shot and have that proverbial – or not-so-proverbial – blood on her hands. "In either case, we'll assemble a team of talented benders with you at its core, and begin scouring the city for this thing immediately. Then, once we find it, we'll bring it down. _Hard_." She described. When she put it that way, it almost sounded simple, but all four of the benders gathered there knew better.

"Actually, Chief, we think it might be a better idea to just focus on the Arena and beefing up security for tonight's premiere, instead." Mako interjected, Lin glancing over in the young Firebender's direction. "Given the level of strategy this thing has demonstrated in the past, we think it's possible that the Chi Eater might know about the mover premiere tonight and could be planning to stage an ambush. I find it odd that it'd stay in Dragon Flats for over 3 days only to run off toward Yue Bay the night before the Arena is slated to be packed with thousands of potential targets." Lin's eyes narrowed. He had a point, the timing WAS suspect.,,

"Yeah, we were thinking that we should head down there and start setting up security _now_, make sure we get everything covered. It's pretty early in the day, but for all we know it could already be there, lying in wait like a tigerdillo in the grass scanning the plains for its next meal." Bolin colorfully described. "So, Mako suggested we head down there and set up now, let Korra do a sweep of the place and see if she can't sense anything out of the ordinary." Looking over to Mako and Korra for confirmation, the two nodded, prompting the Chief to let out a sigh. So it was either search the city immediately east of where it was last seen and hope that they could track it down, or do a sweep of the Arena and begin setting up security and fortifying defenses _now_ in preparation for a potential future attack, huh?

She had to admit, it _was_ far more likely that this thing would hit the Arena than stage another random attack in the middle of the city, but at the same time, she didn't like the idea of it potentially walking around out there uncontested because they'd poured all of their focus into a one-off event. Yes, the Arena held a lot of people and would need a ton of security regardless, but she wasn't sure if she should be making that her number one priority so long as this thing was on the loose. She felt like that may have been assuming too much. If she did that and it ended up taking the life of even one more person in the city instead, completely ignoring the mover premiere altogether, she would never forgive herself. Of course, there was always another option...

"I think that while Korra searches the Arena and we begin setting up security for tonight, you should issue an A.P.B. and increase patrols in the areas closest to Yue Bay and the Eastern Harbor, as well as the whole eastern side of Dragon Flats. That way, we can cover all of our bases and–"

"Absolutely not." Lin interrupted, catching Mako off guard. "The last time I sent my officers after this thing, it killed three of them. I am _not_ throwing my people into the line of fire like that again. Korra said it herself, this is not an enemy any normal bender could take on. The Chi Eater should not be engaged unless the Avatar is present." She explained, glancing briefly in the Water Tribe girl's direction. Korra's look softened. She understood where Lin was coming from. Whatever path she chose, she wanted to be the one leading the charge and to bear the brunt of the risk.

She didn't want her police force out and about looking for a killer spirit without her there to jump in the way and bail them out if things got sticky, but she also didn't want to disregard Raiko's orders and risk the safety of the mover attendees by failing to personally oversee the Arena set up and checking its security for any holes herself. She wanted to feel in control of an out of control situation and to make sure that nobody else died because of her actions, or lack thereof. Korra understood how Lin was feeling, but she also understood that she was overworking herself and starting to let her emotions cloud her judgment. The veneer of cool professionalism and military-like discipline was slowly chipping away.

"I'm not saying that you should let them engage it, just have them keep their eyes open and report back to you if they see anything. All of the department's cruisers are outfitted with portable radio communicators now, right? Just keep one with you while we set up for the premiere. This way, if anything happens, we can head out and take it on immediately." Mako finished, defending his position. Well, it _seemed_ like a solid enough plan. Like he'd said, all of the old and new police cruisers were now outfitted with radio communicators, courtesy of Future Industries, so it was a lot easier to coordinate things like this now. Even still, if anything else happened to her men because of one of her orders, she...

Most of the time, it wouldn't bother her. She'd just consider this to be their job, a risk they'd agreed to take when they signed up to join the police force. But this was different. If she did this, she would be ordering them to hunt down an enemy she knew full well they had no hope of defeating, one that could kill them in a matter of seconds if it ever caught wind of them or what they were doing. If anybody else died, it would be because Lin had personally sent them to their deaths, and that... that was not something she was willing to live with. As a result, she found herself between a rock and a hard place. She knew what the best course of action was, but she didn't want to be personally responsible for the loss of anymore of her own people.

"I think this might be our best plan of attack right now, Lin." Korra affirmed, giving the Police Chief a sympathetic look. She knew exactly what Lin was thinking, but now wasn't the time. "I know that you're still blaming yourself for what happened last night, but this is their job. This is _your_ job. We're going to need to cover all of our bases if we're going to have any hope of stopping this thing." She explained. And she was right. The Police Chief in Lin _knew_ she was right. But that didn't make this any easier of a decision to make. No matter what she chose, the risk was the same.

If Korra was right and this thing was lying in wait at the Arena, then if she opted to go on a spirit hunt, she'd be sending Mako and her Metalbenders to their deaths. But if it was still out prowling the streets instead, then if she opted to set up security at the Arena like she had been ordered to, she'd be sending more of her officers to _their_ deaths. To say that it was a difficult decision would be an understatement, but it was one that she had to make. One way or another, she had to take that risk and put her faith in her men, even the newbies. She would have to trust them with this.

Inhaling deeply, she resolved herself to a path, exhaling and looking in Mako's direction. Right now, that Arena was just _begging_ to be attacked. It would have to take precedence. She would have to leave the search to her cops until she was certain that the Arena was clear and everything was put in place for the premiere. "Fine. I'll put out an All-Points Bulletin and make it clear just how dangerous what they're looking for actually is and that they are to report, not engage. In the meantime, the four of us will set up security in the Arena for tonight's premiere." Lin caved, rising from her desk to go give the order.

"You three go on ahead while I let everybody downstairs know what's going on and gather up my Metalbenders. Tonight, we're going to make that Arena the single safest place in this city." She declared, the three gathered in front of her giving her a "Yes ma'am!", following her out the door and then breaking off to head out to the Pro Bending Arena.

* * *

><p>After having gathered everybody that was currently on the island into one place, Tenzin explained the situation in the city to the Airbenders and the Acolytes, his family and Kai situated in the front row. He told them of what he had discovered last night and had corroborated with reports from around the world with the help of Lin and her department. He explained how a rogue spirit was running amok in the city and killing people by sucking the chi out of their bodies, and how it had managed to avoid the Avatar for more than a thousand years by constantly changing locations and lying dormant for decades at a time. He also explained how it was now leaving its previous hunting grounds in Dragon Flats and heading East toward Yue Bay and the rest of the city, and more importantly, toward the Arena and Air Temple Island.<p>

"We currently have no idea where it's hiding or where exactly it might be heading to, we just know that it's on the move and that it will remain active for another 3 and a half weeks before it falls dormant again and disappears. Until we find it and put a stop to it, no one is safe. As a result, I am putting the entirety of the Air Nation on high alert and will be warning those currently active in the city to stay on their toes and report any unusual spirit sightings directly to me or Avatar Korra." He warned. Even if the Air Nation _w__as_ made up of fighters, which it wasn't, this was not an enemy that they should be engaging. It was too dangerous, too one-sided. Airbenders alone – even a large group of them – would not be enough to take down a spirit.

While Ikki, Pema and the majority of the Acolytes and those gathered there appeared to be worried, Meelo looked to be as determined as ever, almost as though he was hoping for a chance to fight it, while Bumi gave Bum-Ju a confused glance, the small, rabbit-like spirit chirping something in a language only Bumi understood. Meanwhile, Jinora gave her father a look of both worry and confusion, prompting her boyfriend Kai to give _her_ a worried look in return. She'd never heard of a spirit acting out like that before. They could be snooty and hold great disdain for humans, yes, but they didn't just attack unprovoked like that, at least not in the Physical World. And the fact that the Avatar never knew about them... like Korra before her, Jinora wasn't so sure. Too much wasn't adding up. This just seemed _too_ irregular.

"And you guys think a _spirit_ is behind all of this?" She asked. The look in her eyes was the same one that Tenzin had seen in Korra's back at the precinct. He understood her skepticism, but all of the evidence pointed in a spiritual direction. Paradoxically enough, as little as it may have made sense, it was still the only thing that made sense.

"It's looking that way, yes." Tenzin replied. "The description we received from an eyewitness to one of its attacks last night sounds exactly like a dark spirit, like what we encountered back during Harmonic Convergence. Given how long these killings have been taking place however, it's unlikely that this spirit is related to Vaatu but instead became corrupted by some other means a long, long time ago – or worse, it's fully cognizant of what it's doing and is acting of its own volition. Either way, given that attacks have been reported every 25 years for over a millennium, a spiritual culprit is the only thing that makes sense."

Jinora remained unconvinced. She agreed that it probably wasn't Vaatu related, but she refused to believe that a spirit would do something like this of its own accord. She also found it incredibly unlikely that a spirit could remain out of balance for so long, she felt like it would have destroyed itself by now if that were the case. Spirits were beings primarily made up of chi and spiritual energy, so if that was thrown out of balance for long enough, then she assumed it was possible that they would just grow more and more unstable until they dissipated into the void, or perhaps even ripped apart violently in an explosion of spiritual energy, like what had happened with Kuvira's Spirit Vine Cannon when Korra had resisted and bent its energy around her. She honestly didn't know if it was possible for a spirit to be thrown out of balance for a thousand years and _still_ remain intact.

No matter how she looked at it, the Chi Eater being a spirit just didn't make any sense. But at the same time, she couldn't think of anything else that could be doing what her father had described, either. Much like Korra before her, she was conflicted, but the more she thought about it, the more she found herself siding with the spirit explanation. I mean, what else could it possibly be? A thousand years...

Sensing her frustration, Kai placed his hand on his girlfriend's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, clearly a little scared by what Tenzin had described, but retaining his composure regardless, trying his hardest to put on a brave front. "Try not to worry too much about it. Spirit stuff is mostly the Avatar's job, you know?" He said. Jinora supposed he was right, but she couldn't help but feel as though this was partially her burden to bear, as well, given her natural affinity for spirits. Maybe she should do some investigating herself, and see if she couldn't dig up something her father may have missed?

Meanwhile, as Kai tried to ease Jinora's mind and she continued to mull over alternate explanations and ways in which she could help, Bumi and Bum-Ju appeared to be discussing something at length at a low enough volume as to not grab everybody's attention, but loud enough to attract Tenzin's. "Does Bum-Ju know something?" The Airbending Master asked, bringing an end to his older brother's and the spirit's conversation.

"Nope, sorry. Bum-Ju says he's never heard of this "Chi Eater" before." Bumi shrugged. Tenzin's expression sunk slightly. That was disappointing, he was hoping maybe a spirit would have a better idea of what they were up against or why this Chi Eater would be attacking humans, but it seemed that at least Bum-Ju was as in the dark as they were about this thing. "He does seem to be worried about it though. He says that if this thing can eat people's chi like you said, then it can eat other spirits, too." He explained. Is that why the spirits had deserted Dragon Flats? Were they afraid of it growing bored of humans and eating them, too?

"But if this thing is a spirit, how could Bum-Ju not know about it? Especially if it's been causing trouble for so long?" Ikki asked, confused. "I mean, wouldn't spirits talk about this sort of thing with each other? Wouldn't this thing be like a legend to them or something?" Bumi just shrugged. How was he supposed to know? He wasn't some super wise spiritual guru, he was just a retired naval commander who'd learned how to Airbend and befriended a dragonfly bunny.

"Bum-Ju's a relatively young spirit and spent most of his time in the physical world playing with the other dragonfly bunnies at the Eastern Air Temple." Jinora explained. Perhaps his relative youth explained why he couldn't speak human languages like older spirits could, too? "If this thing is as old as dad claims _and_ it has the ability eat other spirits like Bum-Ju says it might, then I'm sure that the spirits _must_ know about it. He just wouldn't know because he's spent more time in our world and with humans than his world and other spirits." Well, it was a possibility, one that neither Bumi or Bum-Ju seemed to be refuting. The spirit in question did seem to be a bit more worried now after Tenzin's explanation, though, enough so that he was beginning to make Bumi worry, albeit for other reasons.

"What do you mean you're leaving the city? ...You don't think it's safe here anymore? So what, are you just going to run away again!?" Bumi asked, the blue dragonfly bunny chirping something in response. Bumi's expression sunk. "You're too much of a worry wart, you know that? Korra took care of that giant metal monster a few months back, I think she can take care of a single crazy spirit! ...No, I'm _not_ putting too much faith in the Avatar, you're putting too little! ...Of course I think we should do something! We're Airbenders, we help people! ...I'm not crazy, you're crazy! ...Fine then, run away if you're so scared! See if I care! While you go run and hide like a little baby, I'm gonna stay here, figure out a way to beat this thing, and then fight it like a man!"

While Bumi argued with his spirit companion, everybody else just fell silent, looking at each other and then back to the two of them. As their argument came to a close, Bum-Ju crossed back into the Spirit World for safety and disappeared while Bumi crossed his arms in a huff, clearly upset. "...What are you all looking at?" He asked in frustration, everybody's gaze awkwardly shifting back to Tenzin. Unfortunately for Bumi, however, Bum-Ju and his brother appeared to be on the same page.

"Actually, I think Bum-Ju is on the right track with this one, Bumi." Tenzin disappointedly explained. What did he mean Bum-Ju was on the right track? They were just going to run away? "I was thinking it over back at the precinct, and if this thing is attracted to benders, then I think the _worst_ thing we could do right now is continue to harbor so many Airbenders on Air Temple Island at once. I believe we should evacuate the island and spread ourselves throughout the city, perhaps help out with reconstruction and relief efforts even more than we already have been until the Chi Eater is taken care of and it's safe to begin staying on the island again. So long as this thing's loose within the city, especially near Yue Bay, we should avoid Air Temple Island as much as possible and seek temporary shelter elsewhere in the city."

The gathered crowd of Airbenders and Acolytes began murmuring amongst themselves, about half of them agreeing with Tenzin while the rest questioned whether anywhere in the city was safe and if they shouldn't just try and fight this thing head on, Bumi ultimately allying himself with the latter crowd. He'd faced spirits before during Harmonic Convergence, so he knew they weren't exactly easy to fight, but he was an Airbender now and this was just one measly little spirit, not a whole encampment of them. The way he saw it, running away with their tails between their legs would be sending the wrong message and they would be better served standing together as a united front and beating this thing back if it ever came near. It was an incredibly risky stance to take, but one that made more sense to a former military commander.

But the fact of the matter was that even an army of Airbenders probably wouldn't be able to take down a spirit, making a direct confrontation with the Chi Eater less than ideal. Air wasn't necessarily the most destructive element and would probably do very little to hinder an amorphous semi-tangible supernatural entity capable of conjuring shock waves with its screams, eating people's chi and tanking attacks from three Earthbending patrol officers simultaneously. The best they would be able to do would be to act as support for Korra when the time came for her to confront the Chi Eater, not to risk the existence of the Air Nation by stubbornly refusing to leave their island when it's in a rogue spirit's potential line of fire. And Tenzin wasn't the only one who thought so.

"I dunno, running away sounds like a pretty good strategy to me. Heck, it's one of my favorites!" Tenzin recognized that voice almost immediately, his eyes reflexively narrowing as soon as it had loudly asserted itself over the quieter murmuring of the crowd, bringing the arguments and conversations of those gathered to a halt. Was that...?

"Varrick? What are _you_ doing here!?" Tenzin asked. The Southern Water Tribe billionaire in question stood up from his sitting position at the back of the crowd with an eager grin, a bespectacled brunette woman also standing up right next to him. Making his way through the crowd with a steady oscillation of "Excuse me" and "Pardon me", while Varrick carefully stepped over and between the Airbenders and Acolytes, his wife Zhu Li opted to take the easier route and simply walked around them, a thought that apparently hadn't occurred to him before. Well, too late to turn back now! Making his way to the front of the crowd to formally greet the Airbending Master, he also waved hello to the confused islanders he'd just walked through before explaining himself.

"Right, sorry about that! Originally I came here to speak with you, but you didn't even notice that I'd arrived, you were too busy marching everybody out here in the courtyard for some big announcement or something. I was just gonna come back later instead, but I got caught up in the crowd, so I figured I might as well join them! And man oh man, Tenzin, even when the story is interesting, terrifying and completely true, you _still_ somehow manage to make it boring. You should really work on your storytelling skills, they leave much to be desired." Varrick briefly explained. Tenzin sighed. He could already feel a migraine coming on.

"Anyway, like I was saying, given everything you just said, running away actually sounds like a pretty good idea. You don't become as successful of a businessman as I am by stubbornly fighting for every idea you have and attempting to surmount every challenge. Heck no! Some fights just can't be won! That's why you've gotta know when to just cut your losses and vamoose before you end up next in line at the buffet table for some hungry spirit. Now, I don't know why this Cheater thing wants to go around using its spirit powers to suck out people's souls or whatever, but if you ask me, gathering a whole bunch of Airbenders on a dinky little rock floating in the middle of the bay with no quick and easy rescue or escape routes is just _begging_ for trouble." Of course, nobody _was_ asking him. In fact, nobody knew why he was even here in the first place. He mentioned something about wanting to speak with Tenzin?

Nevertheless, his sudden intrusion appeared to have had an effect, as unexpected as it was. Or maybe that's why it had an effect? It kind of threw everybody for a loop. How did they miss that giant blue yacht in the harbor before? Well, whatever the case, Varrick and Tenzin were right – there would be a time and a place to stand their ground, but it wasn't here and it wasn't now. As the industrialist had pointed out, Air Temple Island was small, and isolated, and if things went south, it wouldn't exactly be easy to leave. Sure, they could fly, but they'd be up against a spirit – who's to say that it couldn't fly, too? And reinforcements? It'd be a little difficult getting them across the bay before an angry spirit wiped them all out.

No matter how you looked at it, staying there would be a terrible strategy, especially if it was attracted to benders. Even if only half of the island's populace were Airbenders, sticking a whole bunch of them in one place at one time would just make it that more appealing a stop for a ravenous Chi Eater looking for a midnight snack. If it really did like benders, then why would it go through all the trouble of dealing with a giant mixed crowd of people in an arena when you can just scoot over a little bit to the south and nab a whole bunch of Airbenders at once with little chance of escape or interference? To stay and fight would be tantamount to suicide.

"Come on, I didn't become Commander of the United Forces' Second Division by giving up whenever the going got a little tough! Why, I remember there was this one time me and my men were outnumbered and outgunned 6 to 1 and our ship had just suffered a catastrophic blow. We were taking on water fast and things seemed completely hopeless, but even still, we–" Aaaand nobody was listening to him anymore. Bumi sighed. "Oh, why do I even bother?" He asked nobody in particular, sitting back down. Seemed that everybody else was content with a strategic retreat now, much to his chagrin.

Personally, he still believed that with a good enough strategy, a bit of elbow grease and a pinch of luck, they could easily take this thing on, but it appeared that he was the only one – except for Meelo, anyway, who still seemed to support his uncle's plan of attack. But two Airbenders did not an army make. "Well, it looks like we're gonna be going for the stereotypical Airbender "avoid and evade" strategy this time, kiddo." He defeatedly explained. Well, those were Airbenders for you. But at least they'd get to live to see another day.

Varrick shook his head. That guy and Tenzin were related? He never would've guessed. Looking back to the de facto head of the Air Nation, the monk still seemed to be confused as to why Varrick was here, never mind a little shocked he was actually supporting his "cut and run" strategy, as Varrick had described it. What's more, his vocal support and additional round of explanation (which was basically just repeating what Tenzin was saying in a more energetic manner) actually seemed to have an effect. As lost as he was, Tenzin had to admit, he was actually somewhat thankful Varrick showed up when he did – he hadn't expected that much of a discussion on the matter, he thought it would've been pretty cut and dry. He guessed a lot of people just considered this place home now and wanted to defend it.

"Not that I don't appreciate your help, but why are you even here right now?" He asked, directing his question to Varrick only to have it picked up by Zhu Li, instead.

"We actually wanted to invite you and your family to that mover premiere tonight, but given the circumstances, maybe we came at a bad time. We're sorry for the interruption." Zhu Li apologized on her husband's behalf, though the eccentric business tycoon couldn't appear to disagree more.

"Nonsense, these are perfect circumstances! Tenzin needed a vote of confidence and he's basically telling everybody else to skedaddle anyway, he might as well take his own advice and live a little for once! I've already invited Su-Yin, Lin, Raiko, Korra, Asami, Mako, Bolin... heck, I even got Ravi to agree to show up, and he's almost as big of a stick in the mud as you are!" Varrick declared, the 'you' in his last statement being Tenzin, of course. The Airbender sighed. Is that what this was all about?

"I appreciate the offer, but now isn't really the best time. You heard what I was saying about the Chi Eater, right? If you ask me, that whole event should be canceled and postponed until we get this mess sorted out." Tenzin explained.

"Are you kidding me? After all the time and hype the city's sunk into this thing? They wouldn't cancel that premiere if Kuvira came back with another mech suit twice as big as her last one! Besides, if that Cheater thing is attracted to crowds like you say, the more powerful benders I have around me, the better! As it stands, I've already got a family of Metalbenders, a Lavabender, a Lightningbender, one heck of an Earthbender, and the freakin' Avatar – why not add in a family of Airbenders, too? I've got a pretty big balcony to fill!" Varrick exclaimed. "Just think of it this way – if that thing DOES show up, it'll be signing its own death warrant. There's no way it can take us all on, spirit or no spirit! And if it doesn't? You get to relax a little and follow your own advice. It's a win-win situation, no?" Well... he _might_ not have been wrong?

Like Varrick had pointed out before, Tenzin was telling everybody else to leave the island and help out in the city – why not take his own advice and help out during the premiere? If nothing happens, it's a good way to relax, and if the Chi Eater shows up, it'd give him the chance to help set things back to normal and take it down. And he had to admit, with everybody Varrick had assembled and Lin's Metalbending Corps., the Arena really was shaping up to be the safest place in the city tonight, anyway. Maybe he'd take him up on his offer after all – his kids had been bugging him to take them to see a mover for ages, anyway.

"Well, maybe. If I can get the word out to the rest of the Air Nation about the current situation and have the island fully evacuated in time, I suppose I could swing by..." Tenzin thought aloud, stroking his beard. It was about as close to a 'yes' as Varrick was going to get, but it worked for him – and Ikki and Jinora as well, the sisters' faces immediately lit up upon hearing their father's confirmation. All the more reason to help out around here!

"Great, I'll take it!" Varrick exclaimed. With that, he'd acquired the full set – he'd invited everybody that he'd been hoping to _and_ had happened to receive some generally positive responses in the process! Now all he had to do was hope that they actually showed up to the premiere and he would be golden. "I'll see you tonight at the Arena, then! Zhu Li, let's go – I've got some callouses to take care of and a new suit to pick up before I step anywhere _near_ an event as public as this one!" And with that, he marched off back toward his yacht, Zhu Li trailing close behind, being sure to wish Tenzin and his family a more proper farewell first, once again apologizing for their intrusion. _One_ of them had to be more mindful of social conventions, after all, and Varrick just had way too much energy for that sort of thing. One of the many compromises of a relationship, one supposed.

"Do you really mean it, daddy? Are we really going?" Ikki asked, practically hopping up and down at this point. Tenzin sighed, smiling. How could he say no to that? It was technically a bigger target, but also probably safer than staying here would be. He might as well.

"If we can get everything taken care of in time, then yes – we'll go." He replied, Ikki squealing in celebration. While not quite as energetic as her little sister, Jinora couldn't help but smile, while Meelo remained more-or-less indifferent to the whole thing, at least on the surface – inside he was about as excited as Ikki, he was just trying to act cool in order to maintain his 'image'.

"Can Kai come with us too?" Jinora asked. It almost seemed as though Tenzin winced when she asked that. Deep down, he was still the same old overprotective father he always was, and he still wasn't entirely keen on the idea of his little girl being in a relationship so young. But what could he do? She was happy. Before he could get the chance to respond, however, Pema had already taken care of it for him.

"Of course dear, Kai is always welcome to join us." Her mother affirmed, Jinora's smile growing wider as she turned and gave the boy to her left a hug.

"He is? Oh, I mean, uh, he is! Yes! Of course!" The Airbending Master corrected, his wife's glare telling him almost instantly that he'd already lost this battle. That wasn't to say he wasn't still going to be keeping a close eye on those two, however...

"Well, you guys enjoy your mover, I'm gonna stay back and hold down the fort while you're gone. Even if all the other Airbenders leave, _somebody_ has to look after the place and make sure the island doesn't spontaneously sink into the sea, right? Besides, I don't much like movers and could use a little time to myself for a change. It's been forever since I've had some me time!" Bumi replied, Tenzin raising an eyebrow. Since when did Bumi ever enjoy "me time"?

"Aw, come on, Uncle Bumi!" Meelo complained, disheartened that his uncle wouldn't be joining them, but not enough to want to try and stay behind with him. Movers were still relatively new and Meelo hadn't gotten to see very many yet, but that was part of the reason why he liked them, they were a rare treat. To him, movers took precedence over goofing around with his uncle and fighting rogue spirits.

"Are you sure? I know that you were eager to stay and fight, but it _would_ be nice to have you with us. Besides, I'm not sure I like the idea of you having the entire island to yourself..." Tenzin worried. The retired commander shrugged, reasserting his position.

"Like I said, movers aren't for me. You guys go enjoy your night on the town, I'll find something else to do to occupy my time." For example, setting up a bunch of booby traps and fortifying Air Temple Island's defenses himself in preparation for attack. Maybe this wasn't a war, but it was a battle, and leaving your base unprotected and unfortified was one of the biggest no-nos in the book! Like hell Bumi was going to slack off when there was so much work to be done! Also, he genuinely didn't like movers, or the theater for that matter. They just never really appealed to him. Now radio dramas, on the other hand...

"Well, if you really want to stay behind, then I suppose I can't stop you – _one_ Airbender probably isn't going to draw this thing's attention. Just try not to break anything while we're away. Or burn anything. In fact, just try to touch as little as possible. Please." Tenzin begged, Bumi squinting his eyes in half-offense. After all this time, Tenzin still didn't trust him, huh? Yeah he was a little immature, but he could stand to ease up a little by this point, Bumi wasn't _that_ bad.

"You need to stop worrying so much Tenzin, I'll be fine. Besides, didn't you say we have an evacuation to manage? You're wasting time. Let's get this show on the road!" Even if he didn't entirely like the plan, he wasn't going to leave his brother and the kids to manage this whole thing alone. Besides, he was still going to be getting his way, in a sense, he'd just have to take care of the island and everything himself. Tenzin would thank him for it later, he was sure.

"Right. Jinora, Bumi, Kai, you three head into the city and begin getting the word out to the other Airbenders, see if you can't find Opal and Daw in the Western and Northern Districts and have them help you out – if the 5 of you split up, we should be able to get everybody up to speed in no time. Meanwhile, Ikki, Meelo, Pema and I will coordinate evacuation efforts on the island and start sorting out where the other Airbenders may be able stay for the time being. It's not going to be easy, but we'll figure something out. Perhaps we can send them back to their families in and around the city for a while." Their orders received, the three Airbenders nodded in acceptance, opening up the wings of their glider suits and taking off while Ikki and Meelo flocked to their father's side, Pema stepping aside for a moment to put Rohan down for a nap as the three Airbenders immediately started getting to work with the crowd. There was no time to waste – they had a premiere to attend.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back at the arena, Korra, Lin, Mako and Bolin had arrived and begun putting their plan into action, splitting off into two groups in order to make maximum use of the time before the premiere. While Mako and Lin broke off to lead the Metalbending Corps. throughout the building and begin setting up protocols, checkpoints and positions for the night's event, Korra and Bolin would deal with the search for the Chi Eater, scouring the building to make sure it wasn't already there in hiding. Korra's plan was twofold, including both a physical sweep of the building and a not-so-physical Avatar sweep immediately afterward, and was currently about to enter stage two, the first stage of the search having come up clean.<p>

She hoped that by meditating, similar to how she did when attempting to enter the Spirit World, she would be able to sense its spiritual presence if it was nearby. It wasn't something she could use over a very long range, however, and she still wasn't entirely sure about what it was she was looking for or what it would feel like exactly, but after spending over two months in the Spirit World, she felt as though she good enough idea of what a spirit's presence felt like to be able sense one if it was around, hiding or not.

Unfortunately, all of this required a certain amount of peace, quiet and focus – none of which Bolin was currently allowing her to have. "Well? Can you feel anything?" Bolin asked, Korra's eyebrow twitching in response. This had to have been the third time in 5 minutes he'd asked her that exact same question, and it was beginning to piss her off. She understood that he was a little freaked out and wanted to know whether or not this place was safe as soon as possible, but he was starting to go a bit overboard and get on her nerves. She'd never find _anything_ like this.

"Look, Bolin, I get that you're a little impatient, but if you don't leave me alone, I'm going to hit you." She warned, a worried expression splashing across the Earthbender's face. Right, maybe he should let her be. Yeah, she'd been sitting there in the center of the ring for almost 10 minutes now, but he'd also been bothering her for each and every one of those. Maybe he'd be better off staying quiet for a bit, nodding silently in acknowledgment. Finally having the chance to actually relax and focus, Korra closed her eyes and started over _again_, focusing her mind and spirit on the Arena, opening herself to the energy of the world around her.

In this sort of a state, she could see practically everywhere within, beneath and around the building, from Mako and Lin a few halls down, to the various Metalbenders being stationed around the Arena, to the workers setting up the screen for the mover at the edge of the ring, to Bolin, standing right next to her, but every single presence she saw and felt was 100% human – there was nothing nearby that felt even remotely like a spirit, let alone suspicious or unnatural. So unless the Chi Eater could somehow mask its presence from the Avatar – something she couldn't entirely rule out, but thought to be unlikely – she was beginning to think that this place was as clean as their physical search had indicated. Nevertheless, she took her time, going over the building a few more times to be sure and trying to see if she could see or feel _anything_ unusual, but there was nothing. The place was clean. However, there was _one_ thing that caught her attention...

"...Somebody's coming, somebody I don't recognize." She warned after a few solid minutes of silence that had felt like an eternity to Bolin, the rookie cop visibly becoming a little scared as he began looking around. "Somebody she didn't recognize"? Was it the Chi Eater? More Triad creeps? A new cop? Korra shook her head. Bolin was getting too worked up over this. "Don't worry, the Arena's clean, there is no "Chi Eater" here. Whoever's coming is 100% human." She finished. Bolin let loose a sigh of relief. Well, at least there was that. But now he was _really_ curious – whose presence had Korra sensed? As the elevator on the blue end of the Pro Bending ring slowly moved upward, Korra stood up from her sitting position while Bolin raised his fists, ready to bend in self-defense if need be. He _really_ hoped it wasn't somebody who wanted to kill them...

Finally having reached the top of the ring, Korra and Bolin found themselves face-to-face a tall, fair-skinned man with bright blue eyes and hair to match – an avid user of Varrick's patented Varri-dye, no doubt – who, judging by the look of his clothes, appeared to be fairly wealthy. From his shoes to his suit, everything he was wearing looked to be new, name brand and more than a little expensive – everything, that is, except for the long, brown coat he wore over top and the deep red scarf wrapped tight around his neck. While Korra had no clue who this guy was, Bolin almost immediately began frothing at the mouth in excitement, stars in his eyes. The young Avatar cocked her head to the right and raised an eyebrow, waving her hand in front of Bolin's face as to try and get his attention, but to no avail – he was completely starstruck. Apparently, this was somebody important, at least to him.

"...? Is that the Avatar? My, my, I didn't expect to see you here _this_ early!" The blue-haired man exuberantly stated with a smile as he walked leisurely down the ring. Korra shifted her focus from Bolin to the newcomer, her eyebrow remaining raised in confusion. He was expecting her?

"Who are you?" She asked. She didn't recognize him? He looked a little surprised but, then again, she _had_ been MIA and in recovery in the South Pole throughout the majority of his career. Even his fame had its limits, he supposed.

"Ah, sorry, how rude of me – my name is Ryuuki, Ryuuki Ayatsurishi. I've heard a lot about you, Avatar Korra. It's nice to finally meet you face-to-face." Ryuuki greeted, extending his arm as to request a handshake from the recently betrothed Avatar. Ryuuki? Wasn't that the guy President Raiko had mentioned earlier, the one whose mover was being premiered tonight and who was going to be donating some money to the city? Suddenly, Bolin's reaction made sense – she knew how much he loved movers and their stars, he probably idolized this guy. As her confusion gave way to a smile, she accepted the man's invitation and shook his hand.

"Oh, I didn't think we'd be bumping into you here – at least, not this early. I didn't think you'd show up until the actual premiere." Korra explained, echoing Ryuuki's introductory statement of surprise. "But, it's nice to meet you." She smiled.

"Eh, I usually swing by early in order to help the crew set up for my premieres. There aren't too many places in the world dedicated solely to showing movers yet, so usually we have to pick a big location like this and then outfit it ourselves, which can be pretty taxing and complicated stuff. I like to help out however I can." He explained, smiling. "I'd heard from Varrick that you'd be attending tonight's event with your new fiancee, but I didn't expect to see you here this early, the premiere isn't until 8:00." As she thought, the papers had already turned her and Asami's betrothal into the next big story – she reckoned _everybody_ knew by this point. Personally, Korra was trying to avoid reading or hearing any of it. Knowing Republic City's press, whatever they wrote would probably either piss her off, turn her red with embarrassment, or more likely, both.

"I'm actually here on official Avatar business. Well, kind of. Chief Beifong wanted me to help her police force set up security for tonight's event since there's been a lot of trouble with the Triads lately. They wanted to swoop in and get everything done early and thought I might be able to scare off any troublemakers and help them cover everything since I used to do some Pro Bending here back in the day." Well, she wasn't entirely lying? But she couldn't go telling anybody and everybody about the whole Chi Eater fiasco, she didn't want to start a panic – especially not tonight. She'd keep that bit to herself for now unless Tenzin or the Chief said otherwise.

"Oh? I feel safer already!" Ryuuki exclaimed. "It's nice to see the Avatar taking such a keen interest in these sorts of things, especially so soon after returning from vacation. A few people were thinking you'd ease yourself back into things slowly, but I guess that isn't really your style, huh?" Not really, no. Leaning slightly to his right to peer over at the rookie cop frozen in a trance behind Korra, Ryuuki narrowed his eyes. Was that...? "...Is that Bolin? As in, star of "Nuktuk: Hero of the South" Bolin? The _original_ mover star?" Ryuuki asked, an excited smile spreading across his face. Seemed Bolin wasn't the only one feeling a little starstruck right now, though Ryuuki seemed to be far more composed than "Nuktuk" was.

To be perfectly honest, Korra tended to forget that Bolin was actually pretty famous now because of that whole Nuktuk thing. It'd become a bit less common these days, but people still occasionally stopped him on the street, asking him for autographs or making some sort of reference to the mover, and sometimes the people who did so were pretty famous themselves. Case in point, she supposed. Korra had never seen Nuktuk though, so all the hype was completely lost on her; she still just saw Bolin as... well, Bolin. Her goofy friend, capable of a lot more than people normally gave him credit for.

Ryuuki's question immediately snapped Bolin out of his trance, the Earthbender blinking for the first time in several minutes and raising his hands limply towards himself as if to point and confirm that he was actually the one who Ryuuki was talking about, the blue-haired man briefly raising his eyebrows as if to say "Yeah" in response. "O-oh, yes! Yes, I am! I am Bolin. I am _that_ Bolin. I was Nuktuk." He stumbled, clearly feeling a little intimidated. Korra smirked. Even stars could get flustered, it seemed.

Then again, Bolin never really thought of himself as much of a star. At least, not anymore. According to Mako and Asami, there was apparently a time when he completely owned it – which she guessed she saw a part of back during the whole Red Lotus incident at the Misty Palms Oasis – but these days he seemed to be much more humble about the whole thing. Usually, anyway. She assumed his time in Kuvira's army and seeing the Earth Territories changed him a bit. Faced with one of his own personal heroes, though? It was actually kind of hilarious, you'd never expect him to be as influential to a blossoming industry and art form as he actually was. It was like sometimes he forgot he was supposed to be famous.

"Sorry, I'm just... dude, I've seen all your movers. "Tales from Ba Sing Se", "Amber Dawn", "The Candle in the Dark", "The Brawler" – you're amazing! Varrick was right when he said that movers could be so much more than just Nuktuk, and you've proved it." Bolin blurted out, basically having a fanboy meltdown. Korra and Ryuuki both couldn't help but laugh, the man in the coat shaking his head. He wasn't _that_ great, and even if he was, he wouldn't be anywhere today if it weren't for Bolin's and Varrick's work on Nuktuk.

"I wouldn't be anywhere that I am now if it weren't for you. Nuktuk laid the groundwork for this – all of this." Ryuuki explained, spreading his arms wide turning to motion to the large screen being set up at the far edge of the ring and the dozens of crew members setting up speakers and projectors all around the Arena for the impending premiere. "Movers may be more than just political statements now, but the industry wouldn't even exist if it weren't for you. I was hoping I'd get to meet you tonight, as well, get a chance to thank you personally. The universe moves in mysterious ways sometimes, doesn't it?" He asked, shaking the excited Earthbender's hand. That was two people he was looking forward to meeting at the premiere that he'd ended up meeting early. Seemed today was his lucky today.

Bolin, meanwhile, was speechless, shaking Ryuuki's hand and then just looking at his own when it was over, vowing in his mind to never wash that hand again. He couldn't believe it. One of his heroes saw _him_ as a hero? This was like that time Fire Lord Zuko acknowledged his existence, or that time Toph complimented him on his Lavabending capabilities. With a look of flabbergasted joy on his face, Bolin turned to Korra, struggling to believe what just happened. "Did you hear that? Ryuuki was hoping to meet me! _Me_!" If Ikki were in Bolin's position, she'd probably have let out a "squee" of excitement by now. Hell, if this went on much longer, Bolin might end up doing that, too.

"Yeah, I heard. He was hoping to meet me, too." Korra replied, her arms crossed and an amused grin on her face. So this is what Opal meant back at the wedding, when she was trying to explain how Bolin reacted to meeting Toph for the first time. It was even funnier to see in person than she'd imagined. "I'm surprised Toph didn't hit you if this is how you act around your heroes." That old woman never was one for this sort of thing.

"No, but she did seem annoyed... but at least she complimented my Lavabending later on!" Well, if there was anything you could consistently count on Bolin to do, it was to try and look on the bright side of things. Korra shook her head. Well, at least Ryuuki seemed to be taking it in stride – in fact, he actually looked to be a little flattered. He probably got this reaction a lot from fans, but the respect between the two of them was mutual, so for all she knew, he may have been mentally freaking out about meeting Bolin, just as he was visibly freaking out about meeting Ryuuki.

"Anyway, it was nice to meet you, Ryuuki. Sorry for taking up so much of your time, I should let you get back to what you were doing. I guess I'll meet you again at the premiere later tonight?" Korra asked. She assumed he would be meeting a lot of Republic City's celebrities, likely through Varrick; he and Raiko probably had everything planned out ahead of time, like he did back at the harbor. But, they really should wrap this little encounter up – they still had to go let Lin and Mako know that the Arena was clear and help them finish setting up security. She and Bolin couldn't derp around here forever.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all! We're actually going to be sitting in the same balcony for the premiere tonight, so we'll have plenty of time to talk more later. It's a pretty big space, so I told Varrick he could invite whoever he wanted and he gave me a list of who he had in mind. As I thought, that guy knows some pretty interesting people." Ryuuki mused. All of Republic City's biggest names and faces and the entirety of the esteemed Beifong family sans its matriarch, Toph, were going to be there.

Famous as he was, even Ryuuki was feeling a little overwhelmed at the thought. He wasn't sure he'd ever been surrounded by so many other powerful benders before! Even if he got to meet Korra and Bolin a little early, he was still excited to get to meet Su, Lin, Tenzin and the President face-to-face later on, never mind the Avatar's new fiancee. Ms. Sato had done a lot to support the burgeoning mover industry on the side through her company. In Ryuuki's mind, she was as responsible for his success as Bolin and Varrick were.

"Really? Varrick never said anything about that! SWEET!" Bolin exclaimed, almost leaping into the air out of excitement. Meanwhile, Ryuuki's face went from a smile to "oops", the blue-haired man rubbing the back of his neck and giving a nervous laugh. Was that supposed to be a surprise?

"Ehehe, I guess he wanted to surprise everybody... oops..." Ryuuki apologized. "Ah, do me a favor and try and act surprised tonight when you see me! I don't want Varrick to know I let it slip. And don't tell anybody else, please!" He pleaded. Well, Bolin certainly wouldn't have any trouble with the first part, this whole encounter felt like a dream to him and he'd probably be just as excited to meet the guy for a second time. It was probably going to be a little bit harder to try and keep it secret himself now, but he thought he could manage it.

"Can do, sir!" Bolin replied with a salute while Korra just gave a simple nod. Nodding back in response, Ryuuki wished them luck with the security set-up and walked over to help the crew set up the large, half-raised mover screen they'd be using later in the evening. There was still more work to be done, including setting up the main projector, a few extra speakers, doing some sound checks, planning out crowd control with the Arena's employees and volunteers, and things of that nature, all of which he wanted to be a part of.

If there was one thing that Ryuuki _wasn't_, it would be ungrateful. The way he looked at it, these people gave him everything. Helping them out here and there with set-up for _his_ movers was the least he could do to help those who helped him, and his decision to contribute a considerable portion of his own fortune to the people of the city that gave him a shot at stardom in the first place was no different. He didn't look at his success as something he deserved, he looked at it as an honor and a privilege, something he could use to help others. Giving back to Republic City, the place where he got his start, was the ultimate example of that. He felt like he could make a difference here, so that's what he was going to do.

While Ryuuki tended to the mover set-up, Korra hopped from the elevated ring in the center of the building to a balcony on the right with an Airbending boost, bringing Bolin along with her. Being in a relationship with an Airbender himself, he was starting to get used to all the flying and lighter-than-air jumping and stuff, making such a leap old hat to him by this point. Having sensed their locations while searching for the Chi Eater, Korra immediately headed for Mako and Lin's location, the Chief turning her head upon hearing the Avatar and her newest recruit walk down the long stone halls where she and her Chief Detective were currently organizing Metalbending Officers. "Finished already? What's the verdict?" Lin asked.

"All clear, Chief!" Bolin excitedly responded with a wave, noticing that his brother had been subconsciously holding onto his left arm again until he mentioned that the Arena was clear. His assured smile immediately gave way to a concerned frown. So getting back onto good terms with Korra wasn't enough, huh? Mako was way too stressed out for his own good, he was going to hurt himself if he kept this up. It already seemed like his scar was.

"The physical sweep was clean and I couldn't sense any strange spirits or presences or anything, I think we're good." Korra smiled. Lin nodded, a look of relief flashing across Mako's face. Thank goodness. That was one problem solved, at least for now. "Have you heard anything back from your officers yet?" Korra asked.

"No. Aside from the fact that there seem to be fewer spirits than usual immediately around Yue Bay, nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. But their thinning numbers worries me. Previously this was only isolated to Dragon Flats, now it's really starting to spread... I'm beginning to think they might know something about this thing that we don't." The Chief sighed. They left shortly before Kuvira attacked, too. They knew what she was planning and what that cannon of hers was capable of. Utilizing pure Spiritual Energy like that, there was no doubt in her mind that thing could've actually killed them, spirit or not. Given what she was up against, she was kind of wishing it hadn't been destroyed in that huge explosion.

Korra frowned, if only for a moment, her frown quickly giving way as an idea struck her. Why hadn't she thought of this sooner? "...Of course, the spirits!" The Avatar exclaimed. "I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner. If this thing is a spirit and it's scaring other spirits away, then they _must_ know _something_ about it. I should go find one and ask it if it's ever heard of this "Chi Eater" before. If it's been sticking to this 25 year schedule for a thousand years, then there has to be at least _one_ spirit in this city old enough to have encountered it before."

Mako slammed his gloved right hand into his forehead. Why hadn't _he_ thought of that? He's been sitting in an office chasing down leads for days, and it never once occurred to him to find and interrogate a spirit. ...Then again, a spirit probably wouldn't take the time to hear him out, so maybe it was for the best; he could be kind of impatient. Again, Lin nodded. She could always use more help setting up security around here, but Korra was only really here to look for the Chi Eater in the first place, this took precedence. Mako and Bolin _both_ lived here before. They should be more than enough to cover everything.

"Sounds like a plan. Bolin, you help Mako and I finish setting up for tonight. Korra, you go see if you can't find a spirit who'll be willing to talk about this "Chi Eater". And here, take this," Lin began, walking over to one of her officer's and requesting his portable radio communicator, which he then tossed over to Korra. She was surprised by just how small and portable it actually was – this thing could easily latch onto her belt and was barely bigger than her hand. It also had Varrick's name literally written all over it. As brilliant as that man was, he was also pretty vain.

"Contact me as soon as you find something out, I want to be kept up-to-date on this thing at all times. If we catch a lead on where it's hiding, cornering it and destroying it becomes our top priority." Destroy? As Korra had suspected, Lin was hoping to permanently put an end to this thing. Personally, Korra was still hoping it didn't have to come to that. Nevertheless, if it _did_ come down to it... she was ready. Nodding, she clipped the walkie talkie-like device to her belt, turning and running for the nearest exit from the building, making a bee line for the old Downtown District. If there was anywhere sure to have a lot of spirits she could talk to, it would be the new Spirit Wilds. She hoped.

* * *

><p>"So you're going to rebuild Avatar Korra park after all, huh?" Ravi asked, looking over the plans he had been presented by his boss as the two of them stood in what was once one of the most popular spots in all of Republic City. Once vibrant and alive, it was now vacant and dead, craters created by falling debris littering the once green grass and several tress having been uprooted or cut in two by blasts from Kuvira's Spirit Cannon. The stone paths and bridges were cracked and outright destroyed in many places and even the small river that cut through the park had stopped flowing halfway down the line, chunks of overturned earth and various other debris restricting its flow.<p>

Miraculously, however, the large statue of Korra that Asami had erected in its center from which its new name was derived was still perfectly intact – the entire area roughly 200 feet around it looking as though it had been completely untouched. It was enough to make Asami smile. It was almost as though Korra was still trying to do her best to protect the place even when she wasn't physically there to do it herself, as though her monument had become something of an avatar of the Avatar.

"Yeah. By the end of the city expansion plan, I intend for Republic City to have four major parks. Avatar Korra Park will remain where it's always been here in the old Downtown District due to its proximity to the new Spirit Portal and its popularity with the citizens and tourists, but I'm also planning on constructing three _new_ parks in each of the newly expanding Northern, Eastern and Western districts." Asami explained, continuing to think over names she could give to the three of them. She was already pretty sure she'd be naming at least one of them in honor of her father, likely the one in the Northern District closest to the new Future Industries Tower, but the other two were a bit more uncertain right now.

She was thinking of perhaps building another Avatar Park, this one for Aang? Or maybe she could build one for Toph. She'd weigh her options and come back to it later – right now, restoring the former beauty of her favorite Park took precedence, not only because it was (and was named after someone) so close to her heart, but also because it made perfect economic sense for the city right now. They needed all the money they could get in order to help fund their expansion and reconstruction efforts, and the surrounding Spirit Wilds and nearby Spirit Portal were both pretty big tourist attractions, raking in a good number of yuans annually. Bringing back Avatar Korra park would attract more people and keep tourism in this part of the city alive and well, as well as give people back their old favorite place to relax, unwind, train and hang out with friends and family in.

"Should be doable." Ravi replied with a smile, folding the proposed redesign back the way it was before and sticking it into his pocket, looking over the area immediately around them. "We have a lot of Earthbenders at our disposal right now, so filling up these craters and rebuilding the paths and bridges should be no problem. If we use our Earthbending to keep their roots and everything intact, we should be able to bring in some trees from around and outside the city to help replace the ones we've lost, and if we can get a few Waterbending volunteers, we should be able to restore the grass and the original state of the river in no time, as well." He confidently explained, eager to get to work as soon as possible.

All things considered, this would actually be a pretty easy project with their current resources, and the new statues and stone decorations she'd proposed seemed right up Ravi's alley. He could have this place back to the way it was in a week tops, maybe even better. Repairing what was already there – especially when sizable portions of it were still intact, however scattered – was easy. Building new things from scratch wasn't. The three new parks would probably take a good month or two of location scouting, planning, terrain manipulation and construction, never mind all the work they'd have to do in promoting them and coming up with ways to make them interesting attractions. Which was when an idea hit Ravi...

"...You know, I was thinking, why don't we build _four_ new parks, instead of three?" Asami raised an eyebrow. Four? "An idea just struck me. If we follow your rough drafts and create three new parks as-is, then when combined with Avatar Korra Park, we end up with Earth, Air, Water and Technology: Toph, Aang, Korra and your father, Hiroshi. In other words, 3 of the 4 elements and then Non-Benders and the ingenuity of mankind as a whole. What if we ran with this and constructed a fourth park in honor of our city's co-founder, Fire Lord Zuko? We could then promote them as a complete set. Avatar Korra Park already has a river running through it for the whole "Water" theme. I'm sure we could come up with something for the other elements." The man explained, putting his thumb and index finger up to his chin in thought – a habit he and Asami had both picked up from Hiroshi.

"...Ravi, you're a genius." Asami stated after mulling it over for a second, a wide smile stretching across her face. How didn't she think of this before? It was perfect! The idea alone practically promoted itself. The only question became – where could they locate this proposed Fire Lord Zuko park? As it stood, things were pretty evenly balanced between the Northern, Eastern and Western districts with Avatar Korra Park in the old Downtown District at the heart. Unless... "In that case, let's put this Zuko park in the Northern District a little bit further North of where I'd initially proposed my father's park and relocate that to Future Industries Tower itself, instead. With the way you've started designing it, it already seems like such a natural place and like a good blend of Nature and Technology – let's build a bona fide park around the building with the Tower and its Fountain as its centerpieces and completely envelop ourselves in that." Asami excitedly explained, her second-in-command having an equally excited expression painted on his face, smiling just as wide as she was.

"You're the real genius here, Asami – that's brilliant. I _thought_ something was missing from the new Tower, I just couldn't really put my finger on it. Now I know what!" Ravi replied, the two of them giving each other a high five. This was going to be perfect. It was going to help drum up interest in Republic City again, give the even larger metropolis easier access to parks, _and_ it wouldn't be terribly taxing on any of their benders or hold up any other construction projects in the city! Since it was mostly just simple terrain manipulation, sculpting and beautifying, compared to the countless streets and bridges and buildings they still had to throw together in a couple years' time, this'd be a piece of cake.

"Yes, well, you're the one with the artistic background. I'll leave the actual art direction of each park and element to you. If there's one thing I'm _not_ a genius at, it's interior and exterior design." Or really, just design in general. Asami built things to be functional and practical first and foremost – she left the beautifying of major products to her employees, like Ravi. Thankfully, though, she had the best in the business. Ravi nodded, smiling, agreeing to those terms. Sounded like a project he could really sink his teeth into. As the two of them began going over the details, Asami stopped mid-sentence, raising an eyebrow and peering over Ravi's shoulder as a familiar face came running out of the surrounding wilds, looking to be in something of a hurry. Was that...?

"Korra?" Asami asked, surprised to see Korra all the way out here. Should she and Ravi be running, too? ...Was the Chi Eater nearby?

"Asami?" Korra asked, confused to see Asami all the way out here. Sliding to a stop, she tilted her head to the left. "What are you doing out here?" She asked, glancing over in Ravi's direction. Was this the "old friend" she'd heard so much about from Asami while the two of them were in the Spirit World? As Ravi turned to face her, she looked a little surprised – he was actually taller than Asami was, Korra was barely up to this guy's shoulders. Geez, talk about a giant...

"Ah, you must be Avatar Korra. Asami has told me much about you over the years, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. My name is Ravi." He greeted, shaking the shorter Waterbender's hand hello. Damn, he was tall... "Congratulations on your betrothal, by the way – I'm happy for you. Both of you. Just bear in mind, I've known Asami since she was a little girl running around in her father's factories watching Satomobiles get put together. She's almost like a little sister to me, so you make sure you take care of her, you hear? Otherwise, _I'll find you_." He warned.

"Ravi!" Asami shouted, clearly a little annoyed. Korra couldn't help but break into a fit of laughter. Well, wasn't this a familiar scene? Was this how Asami felt when Korra's father told her almost the exact same thing? Who was laughing now, huh?

"Don't worry, she's in good hands. I'll be sure to take gooood care of her." Korra smiled in response, teasing her fiancee who grabbed onto her face in an attempt to conceal her blushing and shook her head. Great, they were already hitting it off. These two were going to begin teasing her in tandem eventually, weren't they? "It's nice to meet you too; Asami's told me a lot about you as well, while we were on vacation. You said you've known her since she was a little kid?" Korra asked.

"Yes, her father took me into his company when I was about 16 or 17 years old. I was an orphan, but he gave me a place to work and stay, he said I had a lot of talent. Of course, this was before he found out I was a bender, later on..." Ravi trailed. As much as he thanked and looked up to Hiroshi in a lot of ways, his prejudices were something he would never fully understand. Apparently, he had moved beyond them by the end of his life, but... there was a lot that could've been different had he seen the light earlier than he did. It was unfortunate. Korra gave the tall Earthbender a concerned glance, snapping him back to attention. "...But that's all in the past. It's Asami's company now, and I'm happy to help out in any way I can. In fact, we were just discussing the rebuilding of your park here, and the construction of four new ones throughout the city." He explained.

Four new parks, huh? Combined with the one named in her honor? Korra was impressed. One day back in the city and her fiancee was already keeping pretty busy and moving things right along, just as she'd expected. She gave the green-eyed girl a proud smile, thinking it would be a great idea – like the two of them had agreed, that would be sure to renew interest in Republic City both during and after its expansion. "That sounds pretty awesome, I can't wait to see what they look like when they're done. Asami's told me you're like some sort of artistic genius or something, so I've got some pretty high expectations." She warned, giving the redheaded man a teasing grin and eyebrow wiggle that caused him to laugh.

"Did she now? Well, "artistic genius" may be overselling it a bit, but I have taken an interest in design, yes. I have a few ideas for the concepts we discussed, which I will elect to keep secret for the time being. I think you'll get something of a kick out of them when they're formally announced, though. Even if she isn't consciously thinking about you, this girl is still thinking about you." Ravi shrugged. What did he mean by that? Korra had no idea what those discussed concepts were, so she had no clue, but when you think about it – the four elements and technology – the five parks together _could_ be seen as something of a representation of Korra and Asami as the Avatar and the Head of Future Industries, a Non-Bender. Even if they were named after other things and also fit the theme of Republic City as a whole, it didn't take too much of a leap to see it, though it was ultimately Ravi who suggested the last park to complete the pattern. Korra and Asami, however, didn't really get the insinuation, even though one of them helped plan them.

"Anyway, I should go start drawing up some rough sketches for what these new parks are going to look like and then hand these reconstruction plans over to one of our teams. We'll get work started on Korra's park here first thing tomorrow morning. Beyond that, I'll see you both at the premiere tonight. You two have fun, now." Ravi said, flashing Korra a knowing smile as he walked away, giving the two of them his signature limp wave goodbye once he'd already walked a good 10 or 15 feet away. You know, Korra kind of liked that guy, he had a pretty interesting personality. He seemed reserved like Tenzin, but also like he knew how to have a good time, like Bumi. She had a feeling they were going to get along just fine.

With Ravi gone, Asami returned her focus entirely to Korra, curious as to what she was doing here. Wasn't she supposed to be chasing down that Chi Eater thing? Even the news was starting to talk about it now. They hadn't mentioned as much as Korra had told her last night, so the press apparently didn't have _all_ the information yet, but word _was_ getting around and people were starting to grow a little uneasy over the idea of a potentially homicidal spirit prowling the streets, and admittedly so was Asami. "Korra, what are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be helping out Lin and Mako?" Korra's eyes widened. Crap, she'd almost forgotten about that!

"Oh, right! I still am, actually, we're just following a new lead now." She began, her expression sinking somewhat as her eyes darted down and to her left. Asami came in a little closer, tilting her head in concern. "Things are worse than we thought, though. A lot worse. Turns out this thing has been killing for over a millennium and has been actively trying to avoid my past lives. So far as we know, I'm the first Avatar to ever catch onto it and start actively pursuing it. Given the fact that no other Avatar but Aang was reported to have ever even come into contact with this thing's aftermath before and how strange it's acting, I thought maybe it wasn't a spirit, but... a story I got from a, urgh, a _witness_ earlier, confirmed it." She wasn't sure which was worse, the Chi Eater or that "Gonzo" guy. She was currently leaning toward the latter.

Placing a hand on Korra's shoulder, Asami pulled the girl in and gave her a hug. Sounded like her day wasn't going too well so far. She almost felt guilty – _her_ day had been pretty fantastic up until this point. She hated knowing that Korra was still stressed out, though. The Avatar really didn't get any time to rest, did they? It was not a position that Asami envied at all, sometimes she wondered how Korra did it. As Korra hugged her girlfriend back, she sighed, her face returning to a sincere smile. Bad as all that sounded, today was still more hopeful than last night was, and now she was actually able to do something. As the two pulled away and Asami saw the look on Korra's face, she smiled back, relieved. At least she seemed to be taking it all in stride.

"It's not all bad, though. We've confirmed that the Arena is clear, and Mako, Bolin and the Chief are setting up security right now. That premiere is going to be the single safest event in the city when all is said and done. I've also got a new lead to follow. Since we think this thing is a spirit and spirits seem to be running away from it, we think they might know something that we don't, so I'm heading toward the Portal to see if I can't find anything out now. I should probably get going, now that I think about it." She mentioned, rubbing the back of her neck. She hated to cut and run, but... Avatar stuff. Asami knew how it was, giving the blue-eyed girl a nod, motioning for her to get going.

"Be careful out there. I'll see you at the premiere tonight!" She called as Korra began running off in the direction of the Portal again, the Avatar half-turning around and waving goodbye as she did.

"I will, don't worry! See you later!" She called back, disappearing back into the Wilds around the damaged park. Next stop: The Republic City Spirit Portal.

* * *

><p>Korra was surprised. She thought she'd end up encountering more and more spirits the closer she drew to the new Spirit Portal, but as she cautiously traversed the Wilds that dominated most of Republic City's old Downtown peninsula, she couldn't seem to find <em>any<em>. She could definitely feel an intense spiritual presence coming from the all the surrounding Spirit Vines and the nearby Portal, but when it came to individual spirits, it almost seemed as though were as scarce here as they were in Dragon Flats last night, a fact which had her more than a little alarmed. Was the Chi Eater so powerful as to have scared the spirits off the peninsula completely? Was that the kind of enemy she was dealing with?

While they were dirty, damaged and overrun with vines and swiftly growing trees, the old city streets were still a lot cleaner than she'd anticipated, likely having been cleared away by the Air Nation at the behest of city officials in order to make way for tour groups. But, as with the spirits, she curiously hadn't encountered any of those yet, either. In fact, this entire ruined district seemed to be completely devoid of any life outside of the myriad of plants thriving off of the recent influx of spiritual energy. Korra was beginning to grow anxious. Could the Chi Eater be here right now, hiding somewhere just out of sight? Had its buried presence scared everything else away?

Suddenly, Korra could sense a tremendous spiritual presence, one she hadn't noticed only a few steps earlier, sickening in both its size and its nature. She immediately raised her arms into a defensive position, ready to strike at a moment's notice, and jumped, turning around. Nothing. Cautiously, she continued to scan the area around her, turning slowly and keeping up her arms, but still, she couldn't see anything. The feeling persisted. Was she being hunted? She could feel her breath begin to grow shallower and beads of sweat form on her forehead as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She was on edge now more than ever, her eyes darting around the ruined city streets, looking for a sign of something, _anything_ that could be responsible for whatever it was she was feeling, but if there was anything there, her eyes couldn't see it.

A solitary bead of sweat dripped down the side of her face as an eerie silence overtook her senses, her heart feeling like it was about to beat right out of her chest and her stomach in knots. Something was coming, and with a presence like this, it couldn't be...

...A rustle from a nearby tangle of vines broke the uneasy silence and Korra almost reflexively Firebent in its direction, stopping herself at the last possible moment and just barely managing to hold herself back, remembering back to her first time in the Spirit World and the dragon bird spirit she'd harmed. There was always the possibility it was somebody she knew, or perhaps even a friendly or otherwise docile spirit, she couldn't let her fear get the best of her. Taking a deep breath, Korra calmed herself down and remained on guard, her eyes narrowing and body tensing as she waited for whatever was beyond the vines to show itself.

After a few seconds more of rustling, she saw the source of her anxiety, a disheveled and familiar form peeling out from the vines and walking leisurely into the middle of the street. It was a person, and one she knew, at that – Ryu. Korra breathed an audible sigh of relief, lowering her guard and almost looking as though she was about to double over, laughing to herself slightly. She was letting herself get too worked up over this Chi Eater thing. Almost as soon as she'd laughed, the spiritual presence she'd been feeling disappeared. Whatever it was, it was gone now, just like everything else in this area – everything except for Ryu, that was. What was he doing out here alone, anyway? Weren't these his usual work hours? Where was his tour group?

"Ryu? What are you doing out here alone? Shouldn't you be on a tour by now?" Korra asked, Ryu lazily turning his head in the Avatar's direction, his expression largely blank as he greeted her with an equally lazy wave.

"Oh, hey Korra. Turns out nobody really wants to take a tour through the Spirit Wilds while there's a killer spirit on the loose in Republic City, go figure." Oh. So news broke on that, huh? Why was she surprised? With as many new recruits as the department had and as busy as they've all been working on this case the past couple of days, it was only a matter of time before somebody started letting some details slip. She was hoping she would be able to _avoid_ a public panic, but...

"I see... people are that worried, huh?" Why wouldn't they be? Even she was worried. She just hoped that worry wouldn't carry over to the mover premiere, too – it'd be a real shame if nobody ended up showing up out of fear. But then, that's why President Raiko had asked her to attend, wasn't it? He was probably out there right now, publicizing that, trying to ensure everything went off without a hitch. She could only hope. She really tonight to be something special, Chi Eater permitting.

"I told everyone you're back in town and working on it, but whatever, nobody really cares, so I figured I'd just guide myself and look for some new places to hang out." Ryu shrugged. For him, "hanging out" was just finding a good place to sulk and shirk his responsibilities where nobody else could find him. The mall usually had it covered, but he could never have enough "hang out" spots.

"What about the spirits? I thought this place would be crawling with them, but I've been looking all over and I can't find any. I thought I sensed one before you showed up, but then it disappeared." At least, she hoped that was just a spirit. She'd never felt anything that... _intense_ before, just the thought of how it felt made her sick. She imagined the Chi Eater would leave her with a similar feeling. Could it have been out here, after all? If it was, then why would it run when there were two potential meals right here in front of it? Could it be because it was still the middle of the day? After all, all of the other attacks happened after sundown – could it be a nocturnal hunter? But then why would it be out in the daylight at all? Ugh, she was thinking too hard about this – she had to keep her mind focused on the situation at hand, Ryu was about to answer a pretty important question.

"Oh, them. Yeah, they left too. I tried to convince a few of them to stay since they're pretty cool and all, but they said if they're going to die, they'd rather die in their world than ours. Something about not wanting to get eaten? I don't know. It really sucks though, a few of us were going to head down and see that mover at the Arena tonight, but I guess they were too spooked to bother. It's whatever, I'll just go alone." There were a lot of questions raised by that explanation, but two of the biggest had to be the insinuations that Ryu A.) Actually had friends and thought they were cool and B.) Enjoyed something. The third question, of course, was in regards to the spirits' fear, and what Korra took it upon herself to actually ask.

"...Eaten? You mean this thing can eat spirits, too? Not just people's chi?" Ryu shrugged.

"How am I supposed to know? I'm not a spirit." Korra sighed. Well, it made sense. Spirits were primarily made up of chi and spiritual energy, so if this thing was using Energybending to suck out people's chi and eat it, then it stood the reason it could also use Energybending to eat (other?) spirits. The only question just became _why_? Why attack people and suck out their chi? Why eat (other) spirits? Does it even actually eat anything, or just absorb it into itself? What happens to the spirits it eats? Do they die, or do they just become a part of it?

There were still a lot of questions and not a lot of answers to go with them. Hell, every answer she got just seemed to lead to more questions with this thing. But at least now she knew why all the spirits were running away from the crime scenes: this thing could eat them, too. For once, they were in just as much danger as any human was. "Did they tell you where it was hiding, or anywhere you should stay away from for some reason, or anything like that?" Korra asked. If the spirits cared enough to talk to Ryu – and, really, they talked to Ryu? Of all people? – then maybe they'd care enough to warn him where it was. That was her hope, anyway.

"I dunno, didn't ask." Of course he didn't. "They just told me to stay away from the mover tonight, said the crowd would attract it, but like, I genuinely _like_ movers. And this one's _free_. I don't care if it's dangerous, I'm not going to miss this." Ryu explained.

"Wait, you _like_ movers?" Korra asked, no longer able to hide her confusion over this entire series of events. Seriously, _Ryu_? The disheveled young man looked offended.

"Well, yeah? What kind of joyless bastard doesn't like movers? I mean _come on_." Well, Korra could think of one particularly joyless Firebending detective that came to mind...

"Well, whatever, I'm surprised they even told you that much. Spirits don't usually care about humans. If something's coming or they feel threatened somehow they'll usually just get up and go and leave us to fend for ourselves. I guess they've gotten used to you after all the tours you've given through their home, huh?" Korra asked.

"Eh, we hang out sometimes, I guess. Apparently I'm one of the only humans they can stand. I don't really care, but neither do they, so that makes them pretty cool in my book. No expectations." Ryu shrugged. Korra was kind of surprised, but at the same time, not really? Like she'd said, spirits didn't really care about humans, but then neither did Ryu, so maybe they had a lot to talk about. Or not talk about? Did they just sit around not caring about things, or something? ...Whatever, she was getting sidetracked here. The most important thing was that the spirits were gone and they were thinking the same thing as Korra, Raiko and the others about the premiere grabbing the Chi Eater's attention. She could head into the Spirit World and see if she couldn't start interrogating a few of them there, but somehow she got the feeling they wouldn't be feeling terribly cooperative no matter _where_ she talked to them right now. She would be better off focusing on the mover right now and making sure the Arena really was as safe as it could be.

Korra let loose an annoyed sigh. She was strongly considering suggesting Asami just stay home at this point. But then, if she went alone and nothing happened, she'd have wasted a great opportunity to spend some time with her new fiancee, and after the recent revelation of their betrothal, people would probably start getting suspicious and asking questions if she showed up alone. But was it fair to rope Asami into such a potentially dangerous situation? Benders were one thing, she could take care of herself against them, but even the Avatar was going to have trouble if it came down to an all-out brawl with a rogue spirit. Knowing Asami, she'd probably stubbornly refuse to stay behind and tag along anyway, no matter what Korra said. It was not a conversation she was looking forward to.

Tonight was quickly shaping up to be less of a relaxing addendum to their vacation and more of a stressful dose of Avatar duty. Great, _exactly_ what she was hoping for. "Do yourself a favor – never become the Avatar." Korra joked, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Right, like Ryu would ever want that much responsibility. "If the spirits are leaving the city, this thing could be even worse than we thought. I should fill in the Chief about the spirits' warning and then head back and see if I can't find Asami again. If I'm lucky then maybe she'll still be somewhere nearby. After that, I guess I'll go get ready for tonight's premiere... hopefully it won't be an utter disaster and I can actually enjoy myself." She complained aloud, not really expecting Ryu to reply. He did anyway, of course, if only to state how much he didn't care. Thanks for the input, Ryu. Truly, you were a fountain of sagely wisdom, it wasn't any wonder that the spirits loved you.

Well, no use hanging around here anymore. She had stops to make, warnings to deliver, a dress and/or suit to acquire, and a mover to attend. Reaching for the walkie talkie clipped to her left hip, as she ran back in the direction of the old city park, she relayed what she'd learned from Ryu to Lin. One way or another, this was going to be one hell of a night.

* * *

><p>"Are you absolutely sure about this, Asami?" Korra asked for the umpteenth time, an uneasy look on her face. The more she thought about it, the more she was beginning to worry. Was this really a good idea? She'd been back and forth on this all day, but she had to admit, it did seem more practical. But was practicality really what was important, here? What would the press say? What would <em>everybody else<em> say? Would they even say anything? Why was she getting so worked up over this?

"How many times do I have to say 'yes' before you stop asking me?" The green-eyed girl replied, annoyed. By her count, this was the 5th confirmation in the last 10 minutes alone. Since when did Korra become so vain? "You look great in a suit. I don't know why _I_ never thought of it before." She remarked. Styled after traditional Southern Water Tribe colors and design sensibilities, it naturally accented Korra's dark hair and cerulean eyes and at least _looked_ right at home on her, though judging by the look on the girl's face, she didn't exactly _feel_ right at home wearing it. She was beginning to regret this decision a little more with every passing moment, though her fiancee's compliment reluctantly drew a blush from her cheeks. The premiere was less than 30 minutes away. Their ride would be here any minute. There was no time to change her mind now.

Making one more minor adjustment to her fiancee's tie, she pulled it to a comfortable tightness, took a step back and flashed her a confident smile. Perfect. "There. All done." Asami announced as Korra stopped from moving her right arm, trying to get used to the feeling of actually having sleeves again. She didn't usually wear sleeves and her personal coat was much less stiff than this thing was. Letting loose an anxious sigh, Korra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Time to turn around and see how she actually looked in the mirror, something Asami had prevented her from doing until she was finished, not wanting Korra to get cold feet half-way through without even seeing what she'd look like all dressed up and good-to-go. Facing the wide mirror mounted to the wall above their dresser, Korra opened her eyes, getting her first full look at herself in a Water Tribe suit.

To be perfectly honest, she... actually kind of liked it. A lot. Huh. She didn't look anywhere near as bad as she was afraid she might. Stepping a litttle closer to the mirror, Korra moved around a bit, trying to examine herself from a few different angles and get used to this new look of hers while her body adjusted to the feel of it, a smile starting to creep its way across her face. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all. But who was she kidding, it was originally her idea in the first place, of course it wasn't a bad idea! "This... doesn't look as bad as I thought. Wow. I _do_ look good in a suit." She smirked, flexing slightly. She still wasn't entirely adjusted to the feel of the thing, but you know what, she was kind of starting to enjoy it.

"I told you so. You worry too much." Asami stated in a very matter-of-factly manner, checking over her own appearance in the mirror one more time while Korra flexed to herself, her smile becoming less arrogant and more warm when her gaze fell back onto the betrothal necklace clasped around her neck. She'd built her entire outfit around that necklace, an outfit she'd changed into far quicker than Korra this time around, the blue-eyed girl from the Southern Water Tribe having spent almost 30 minutes debating whether or not she should go with the suit or her usual dress for events like these, and then another 15 complaining about how stupid she was going to look once all was said and done. She seemed to be singing a completely different tune now, though, judging by her continued flexing in their mirror.

Her face resting into a comfortable smile, Korra nodded to herself. Yeah. This would work. Looking over at her fiancee, there was just one more thing she had to confirm now and she'd be good to go. "Are you sure there's nothing I can do to change your mind? If something ends up happening tonight... ...I don't know if the Chi Eater is actually a spirit or not, but it sounds like one. It's going to be extremely dangerous if it attacks. I really don't want you to get caught up in that." The Avatar bemoaned, the young CEO to her right shaking her head. She'd been over _this_ more times than she'd have liked, too. Her decision was final.

"Korra, enough. I've been through spirit attacks before during Harmonic Convergence, remember? I know what we could be up against. Or, we could not be up against anything and tonight could be perfectly fine. Either way, I'm willing to take that chance. Be it to stand beside you and help you out however I can, or just spend time with you and finally get you into the mover scene. It's a win-win for me, really. I get to have some fun no matter what happens." She smiled. Korra shook her head, giving Asami a crooked smile of her own in return. She'd already lost this argument and she knew it.

"Well, I tried. At least you'll be next to me the whole time. If something does go down, I'll be able to react immediately." Korra replied. In fact, their entire balcony was going to be packed with some pretty powerful benders from what she understood, so Asami should be more than safe, as too should Zhu Li, Varrick, Raiko and his wife, Buttercup. She just couldn't help but worry a little bit, you know? Asami wasn't just a friend anymore. She was more than that. If something happened to her... ...Korra couldn't afford to not be strong enough to protect her now. She just couldn't. As Asami placed her hands on Korra's shoulders, the look in her eyes sealed the deal. She knew what she was doing. Korra would just have to leave her to it.

The two of them were expecting a knock on the bedroom door and one of Asami's servants to alert them to the arrival of Varrick's limousine any minute now. He was apparently going to be picking up everybody except for Lin, Mako, Su, Ravi and a "surprise guest" who would all be meeting them at the theater. Of course, they were no longer a surprise to Korra and Bolin, the two of them having accidentally bumped into him at the Arena earlier in the day, so she was already aware they'd be sharing the balcony with the mover's star, Ryuuki. But Asami didn't know yet, and she was more into movers than Korra was. Unlike Korra, she might actually have some idea of who he was and love to meet him. As of right now though, it didn't really mean too much to the young Avatar. To her, he was just another guy, albeit "another guy" who was donating over 2 million yuans to the reconstruction efforts in the city's hardest hit neighborhoods. Now that, at least, she could respect.

As if on cue, right as the two of them were finally good to go, the knock they had been waiting for resounded off of the mahogany doors, grabbing their attention. Asami immediately reached over for the purse she'd placed on her dresser and swung it over her shoulder, making sure her old Equalist glove was still inside of it along with a few other practical items and accessories. It probably wouldn't be of too much use if they were under attack from a rogue spirit, but hey, you never know, right? Maybe the Triads would try something, or maybe this could-be spirit was especially susceptible to electricity. It never hurt to come prepared.

Walking with her fiancee down the halls of the house and out the front door, they found their ride already waiting for them, Varrick's driver holding one of the limousine's many doors open so that the two of them could hop right inside. Thankfully, there would be no descending or ascending of stairs tonight, just a nice leisurely ride to and from the city sitting in the lap of luxury. Now this, Korra could get used to.

Deciding that she would be the one to enter first, as Korra took her first few steps into the car, she was almost immediately greeted by a sea of familiar faces, a large smile almost immediately leaping onto her face as she saw Bolin and Opal, Tenzin, Pema, the kids and Kai, Varrick and Zhu Li and even President Raiko and his wife, Buttercup, in that order. She had to admit, it was a lot more spacious and comfortable in here than she'd have assumed from the outside. She was shocked so many people were able to fit in here like this without it actually seeming all that crowded. It almost seemed as though it was _bigger_ on the inside.

"Wow, your suit is even nicer than Mako's – and he got his from the former crown prince! Go Korra!" Bolin remarked almost immediately, the poor girl just barely having become comfortable wearing the thing before everybody's attention was immediately drawn right to it. 10 seconds in and she already felt like her face was turning as red as the lush interior of the car, she hadn't even completely sat down yet. Asami laughed at her fiancee's reaction, taking a seat right next to her as she now struggled to get comfortable, giving everybody a warm hello. It'd been a while since she'd seen a few of them.

"Bolin, stop it, you're making her uncomfortable." Opal spoke up, scolding her boyfriend. He may have been pretty observant some of the time, but he was cognizant of people's emotions almost none of the time – he was notoriously bad at reading social cues. Almost as bad as Varrick, in fact. The two of them seemed to bumble into advantageous situations almost as often, too. It was actually kind of scary how alike they were starting to become. "It's nice to see you again, Korra. I haven't really had the chance to welcome you back until now, the Air Nation's been keeping pretty busy since Kuvira's attack. I've kind of been leading the charge on the West side for a while now." She explained.

The young Beifong appeared to be dressed about as elegantly as Asami was, having changed into her finest dress, the pinnacle of Zaofu fashion. She normally opted to wear traditional Air Nomad clothing, or the new glider suits Asami had designed for everyone those three years Korra was gone, so it could be easy to forget sometimes that she was, in fact, a member of the Beifong family, and thus quite rich. Or at least, her mother was. Asami wasn't the only one who'd grown up in the lap of luxury. She'd also managed to snag a nice suit from her old home city for Bolin, as well, the two of them complimenting each other quite nicely. 2 months gone, and Bolin was running around with the police and dressing like a Beifong – things really _had_ changed, hadn't they?

"It's nice to see you again too, Opal. I'm sorry I haven't been around to help out since Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding... I just really needed a break, you know?" Korra explained, still feeling as though she had to apologize for her absence given how much the city had ultimately degraded since she'd left. From the Triads to the Chi Eater... would things have turned out any differently if she'd stayed?

"Don't worry about it, everybody knows why you and Asami left. At least, _now_." The young Beifong replied with a smirk, referring of course to Korra and Asami, the two lovebirds sharing a brief blush over the matter. Right. Common knowledge now. The teasing phase had officially commenced. This was going to be a little awkward for a while.

"I always had a feeling there was something going on between you two! Zhu Li knows, I told her all about it months ago. I said, "Zhu Li, you know, I have a feeling there's something going on between those two", and as anyone can tell you, my feelings are almost never wrong. Congratulations on the betrothal! The married life is pretty sweet, all things considered. And Kiyoshi Island? GREAT place to honeymoon. Those elephant koi? _Really_ fun to surf on, especially that big, black, snake-like one." Varrick exclaimed, inserting himself into the conversation. It'd been a while since Korra had seen him, too, she almost forgot how loud he was. Well, at least he was on the other end of the car.

"Um, I don't think that one was an elephant koi, honey... I think that one was the Unagi. You know, the sea monster?" Zhu Li corrected, Varrick raising an eyebrow, thinking back for a minute.

"Sea monster? Really? Why didn't anyone tell me? Eh, whatever, it was fun anyway!" He proclaimed, his wife shaking her head. It was a miracle the two of them didn't end up dead. Everybody just laughed, Korra having forgotten how entertaining he could be when he wasn't getting her friends thrown in jail. To be perfectly honest, she never really had as much of a problem with him as Mako or Asami, he'd actually helped out a lot during the civil war between the Water Tribes, or at least he tried to. In his own way. She guessed. But still, it was nice to see him on the right side of things, and Zhu Li as well. After all, this night wouldn't have been possible without him.

"It's nice to see you again, too, Varrick. Thank you." Korra replied once her laughter had subsided. "I don't think we're actually going to be tying the knot anytime _too_ soon, but it'll happen. But tonight isn't really about us, it's about the mover. I've never actually seen one before, so I'm pretty excited." She smiled, the limousine having now begun the 20 minute drive into the city.

"Boy oh boy are _you_ in for a treat! I'm telling you – movers? Easily one of the best things I've ever invented. Top 10 at least!" Varrick stated with confidence, Bolin nodding along in agreement along with the Airbender Kids, all of whom were relishing the thought of finally getting to go to a big premiere. Even despite their father's status as the de facto head of the Air Nation, he always seemed too busy, tired, uninterested or some mix of the three to set aside the time to take them to see one, much to their chagrin. For them, tonight had been a long time coming.

"Well I, for one, can't wait. I've always loved a good book more than anything, but I've also always had a soft spot for the theater. I've been curious to see how movers differ from typical stage productions." Jinora announced, being the most emotionally contained of the kids as per usual. "Did you know that tonight's mover was actually based off of a book? I never got to read it, but I know Opal did, she says it was really good." The Beifong in question nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah, I'm excited to see how it compares, honestly. I heard they got the best actors in the business to play the lead roles. Not just Ryuuki, but all of them. I hope they can pull it off. Especially that chase scene..." Opal stopped herself there, not wanting to spoil it, much to Jinora's disappointment. She'd been pressing the older girl for details ever since she first saw her reading the book, but all she'd managed to get out of her was the basic premise. I mean sure, she was about to watch it unfold in front of her in less than an hour, but still, she wanted to know _now_.

"Oh, don't you worry about that, I know they can!" Varrick responded. "Heck, I discovered some of them myself, from the days of Nuktuk! Ginger, for example. I'm glad to see she's really started making a name for herself, that girl always had something special. Guess it just took a little while for everybody else to finally start seeing it!" Varrick replied, assuring the Airbender of the mover's quality. If nothing else, the crew was solid, so hey, how bad could it be?

"Yes, well, I'm just glad the mover's even happening at all. After news of that "Chi Eater" thing leaked, my office was bombarded with phone calls asking me about it. I was a little worried that people would refuse to show up and the organizers would have to cancel the event. Thankfully, they stuck it out, and when I announced that Avatar Korra would be attending as well, people seemed to be a bit more receptive to the idea. You built up a lot of good will after taking down Kuvira, Korra. The people believe in you now more than ever. You make them feel safe." Raiko explained, Korra smiling at the thought. Finally. Do you know how long she's been trying to get people on her side? After the Red Lotus incident people finally seemed to start coming around, but it wasn't until now that the positive sentiments became almost unanimous. It felt... good. She felt like she was finally living up to her role as the Avatar. It'd been a long, winding path to get here, but... she'd finally arrived.

"I'm glad. I won't let them down." She stated with confidence. "About Kuvira, though... I've been kind of sidetracked by the Chi Eater since I came back, but I've been meaning to ask if I couldn't take part in her trial, maybe testify before you guys get to sentencing. I know it's a little late in the game, but to be honest, there are some things I feel like I really need to say before it's too late." Raiko nodded, understanding where she was coming from. To be perfectly honest, he'd intentionally been dragging things out, just a little bit, as to give Korra a chance to weigh in before anything was finalized. Everybody was calling for Kuvira's execution at this point and the press was treating it as a foregone conclusion, but he assumed Korra would be standing opposed to that. That probably wouldn't go over well for her, but... she had the right to state her opinion and give her side of the story. After all, she was the one who went head-to-head with the woman and took her down before she leveled _all_ of Republic City.

"Of course. I can get them to hold off a few more days if need be so that you can get this Chi Eater matter settled first and foremost." Raiko replied. "I'm sure your opinion will be taken into consideration. You are the Avatar, after all. Outside of Su and the rest of the Beifong family, you were probably the closest of everyone to the whole event." Korra felt as though a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders hearing that. She was happy to have that squared away and her part in the trial secured before it was too late. This whole Chi Eater thing had really ruined her original plans.

Bolin and Opal simply shared a look with one another, having already testified themselves a month or so back along with Varrick and Zhu Li. It was something they were glad to be done with, but at least Opal was a little concerned as to what Korra might say. After everything she did, Opal would be lying if she said she wasn't also calling out for that woman's head. She'd lost a brother because of Kuvira, and almost lost the rest of her family, too. They'd never be the same again. There was no room for forgiveness, not here. Not now. It was something Tenzin was well aware of and had attempted to talk to her about, but if there was one thing Beifongs had in abundance, it was a stubborn refusal to bend to others' wills or let others in, and Opal was no exception.

Out of everyone there, perhaps only Bolin understood what it was she was going through, being the only one she'd ever opted to confide in, but even he knew that he couldn't ever _really_ understand, not completely, and he wasn't about to go spilling his girlfriend's guts or defending her position in regards to Kuvira on her behalf. He knew that wasn't his place. He knew what Korra was probably going to say, and he knew Opal probably did as well, and he hated the thought of the two of them butting heads over it, but... it wasn't his fight. He remained as silent as Opal, neither of them wanting to bring anything up and get into an argument about it tonight. Tonight was a night of fun, not conflict.

With that little matter settled, the remainder of the ride was mostly just catching up with old friends and enjoying each other's company before the mover, Varrick and Zhu Li sharing another couple stories from their month long honeymoon spent traveling the Earth Territories while Korra was pressed by Bolin, Opal and the kids (sans Meelo) about the Spirit World – and more importantly, what she and Asami did there. Which, of course, neither of them were particularly keen on getting too deeply into for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being the especially personal nature of that line of questioning. And not just in _that_ way, either.

The Spirit World was a strange place, shaped as much by its nature as it was the emotions of those within it – Foggy Swamp-level experiences were not unheard of, especially not on _their_ little vacation. To be honest, there were just some things they were fine with keeping to themselves; situations, hallucinations and discoveries they'd shared in that were too personal to share with anybody else, at least for now. In between all of the fun and exploring and new friends they'd made with some of the spirits there, Korra and Asami probably got to know each other – and themselves – better in the Spirit World than anywhere else. All-in-all, it was one hell of a vacation.

Decrying the betrothed couple's obstinacy as boring, the kids quickly forgot all about it as the two of them _did_ elect to share a general rundown of what else they did over their little vacation, though it was unfortunately cut short as their limousine ride into the city came to an end, the elongated vehicle pulling up to the Pro Bending Arena right on schedule. Seemed they'd have to get into that a bit more in depth later on – the premiere was finally upon them.

"Right – we're finally here! Mr. President, if you will..." Varrick suggested, motioning for Raiko and Buttercup to exit the car first as the billionaire's driver opened up their door, the two's arrival instigating a flurry of flashes from the cameras of the press lined up outside the Arena along with the remainder of the crowd yet to enter and be seated. The two of them smiled and waved as they exited the vehicle and began the walk down the long, red carpet that led to the brightly glowing golden building, very much used to the song and dance of public events like these by this point in the middle-aged man's presidency.

Among the commentators representing a number of different news outlets and associated radio stations from in and around the city, assembled toward the front of the crowd, the Arena's own Shiro Shinobi stood reporting on behalf of those already seated inside of the makeshift mover theater, his distinctive voice carried over loudspeakers both within and without the building as he announced the arrival of each city celebrity that stepped out of the long, white VGI (Varrick Global Industries) Limousine. "Ah, and it looks like Sir Varrick and his entourage have finally arrived, rounding out the night's special guests!" He began.

"First to appear are President Raiko and his lovely wife Buttercup, the two of them looking as comfortable as ever in the public eye. These two are practically paparazzi pros by this point, people, and appear to be completely undeterred by recent events, ready and eager to take on the night!" Raiko resisted the urge to shake his head at the mention of "recent events", which he hadn't been entirely honest with Korra and the others about. While he _had_ managed to sway public opinion back in favor of the premiere – obviously, given the size of the crowd – that didn't mean he'd managed to sway public opinion back in favor of himself. People were scared and looking for somebody to blame, and like he'd told Korra, the Avatar had accrued quite a bit of good will from the people for her efforts during Kuvira's attack. So, naturally, the press blamed the recent string of Chi Eater murders on Raiko's administration and Beifong's police department, instead. Well, the press would be the press.

"Next up is the inventor of the mover, the now infamous business tycoon, Sir Varrick of the Southern Water Tribe, along with his new wife, Zhu Li, making their first public appearance since their wedding 2 months ago and first _major_ appearance since the billionaire's arrest during the premiere of his last mover, the exciting finale to Nuktuk: Hero of the South! You'd never tell from his demeanor that he was ever anything but a media darling, but it wasn't too long ago that this eccentric power couple were considered Republic City public enemies No. 1! It's amazing how much can change in just a few short years, folks." Shiro described as Varrick and Zhu Li smiled and waved to the gathered crowd, Zhu Li looking a little annoyed by Shinobi's commentary while Varrick seemed as energetic and unfazed as ever, just happy to be back on good terms with the press. Well, mostly good terms. Helping take down a psychotic dictator and her giant robot will do that for you.

"Next we have the current leader of the Air Nation, former city council member and son of Avatar Aang, Tenzin, along with his wife Pema, and his four children Rohan, Meelo, Ikki, and Jinora – who appears to have brought herself a date!" The Pro Bending announcer exclaimed, Tenzin mumbling something beneath his breath as his eye twitched at the mention of Kai as Jinora's "date". There would be no "dating" in his presence, not if he had anything to say about it. Of course, Pema was already giving her husband the evil eye, keeping him at bay for the time being as their eldest daughter walked arm-in-arm with the dark-skinned boy, blissfully unaware to the silent war being waged between her parents' eyes.

"After them we have former mover _and_ Pro Bending star, Bolin, previously a member – and then briefly, captain – of the phenomenal Fire Ferrets, walking arm-in-arm with the last member of the prestigious Beifong family, Opal – and he appears to have brought his pet fire ferret and former team mascot, Pabu, with him! That cute little fellow is also a former mover star, folks, having played the role of Juji in the world-famous Nuktuk serials." As Bolin smiled and waved to the crowd of fans, the fire ferret in question crawled out from his jacket and sat on his shoulder as if to soak up some attention of its own and greet the crowd along with his master. Bolin may not have been able to bring Pabu to the precinct with him, but that didn't mean he couldn't still take him out to public events! Unfortunately for Bolin and Pabu, however, their leisurely stroll down the red carpet was about to become a lot bumpier as Opal caught sight of a familiar crowd of faces, her own face immediately springing to life with excitement.

"...Oh? What's this? Opal appears to have noticed her family gathered near the entrance of the Arena, she's now running full-speed ahead down the walkway with Bolin in tow! The poor boy doesn't seem to know what hit him! Wow, they are _really_ booking it! That's the speed of an Airbender for you, folks – they've already overtaken everybody else and made it to the front of the Arena!" Shiro described, the crowd laughing at Bolin's confused and somewhat terrified expression as he was literally tugged along down the walkway as Opal broke off into an Airbending assisted sprint, excited to see her family for the first time since the wedding. As the two of them finally reached the Arena entrance, Bolin caught his breath and readjusted his suit, Pabu still holding onto his shoulder for dear life, while Opal finally released her grip on her boyfriend's arm, pulling her mother and father into a tight hug, interrupting their discussion with Future Industries' second-in-command, Ravi.

And then _they_ stepped out, the crowd growing almost three times as loud as it was before as Korra and Asami made their way onto the red carpet last, the citizens of Republic City obviously quite excited to see their Avatar in person again, especially after the recent announcement of her engagement! "There's no doubting a reaction like that, folks – our final guests have arrived! Avatar Korra – also previously a member of the Fire Ferrets, albeit briefly – has now stepped out of the car hand-in-hand with her new fiancee, the CEO of Future Industries, Ms. Asami Sato! Republic City's favorite new couple seem to be readjusting well to a life in the spotlight and haven't missed a beat – they're handling this crowd like pros! Ms. Sato is dressed as elegantly as ever in one of her famous crimson dresses, but Avatar Korra appears to have decided to mix things up tonight, showing up in what appears to be a Southern Water Tribe suit! Only the Avatar could pull off a suit _and_ a dress this well, folks." Well, so much for nobody really noticing the suit. Oh well, at least her new look was being received rather positively. Korra couldn't help but smile.

As the remainder of the group finally caught back up with Bolin and Opal at the front of the Arena, they all exchanged hellos with the entirety of the Beifong family – Lin and Mako having stepped outside earlier in the evening in order to wait for Su, Varrick and the others to arrive as well as personally keep an eye on the crowd – while Asami formally introduced everybody to Ravi, the large group of friends and family quickly settling back into old routines as their own conversations began drowning out those of the gathered crowd and the continued reporting of Shiro Shinobi and Republic City's press. They still had a good 10 minutes before they had to step inside for Ryuuki's donation to the city and the start of the mover, and they weren't about to waste it. This was the first real breather any of them had had in months, Korra and Asami notwithstanding – even Lin seemed to be enjoying herself, at least for now, laughing along with her sister at a joke Zhu Li had shared.

Meanwhile, Korra, Asami, Mako and Bolin shared a brief group hug, relishing the chance to finally spend some time together again that didn't immediately involve fighting some crazy bender or chasing down criminals and rogue spirits, the brothers once again congratulating the two women on their relationship while Mako complimented the Avatar's suit, the Water Tribe girl once again blushing in response. Everybody's comments on that was starting to get a little embarrassing. Mako appeared to be similarly dressed up, however, wearing the same suit he'd worn to Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding (albeit with gloves) as gifted to him by former prince Wu, just as Bolin had described, which Korra complimented the Firebending detective on in response.

Ravi and Tenzin, meanwhile, appeared to be discussing what both of them seemed to enjoy most, their work, the newly trained Metalbender taking the chance to personally thank the head of the Air Nation for his help in rebuilding the city, mentioning how the new Future Industries Tower never would've been possible without his Airbenders' and Zaofu's Metalbenders' help – something which he was also sure to thank the de facto matriarch of the Beifong family, Suyin, for. As Ravi began discussing Future Industries' plans to open up 4 new parks in Republic City along with the restoration of Avatar Korra park in the old Downtown District, Raiko also involved himself in the conversation, Buttercup and Pema listening in as the Airbender kids caught up with Opal and the rest of Su's kids.

In fact, the only one who _didn't_ seem to be in any conversations right now was Varrick, surprisingly enough, who was standing off to the side mulling something over in an uncharacteristically silent manner, allowing the group to talk freely for a bit before finally deciding to interrupt. Now that he had them all here, there were a few things he wanted to say. Walking back up to the rest of them and grabbing everybody's attention, he pulled his new wife to his side and awkwardly addressed the small crowd of VIP invitees he'd assembled in front of him, almost looking as though he was nervous. "Hey, uh, guys, can I be real here for a second?" Varrick asked, the look on his face immediately silencing the lot of them, Bolin raising an eyebrow while Zhu Li just smiled, leaning in a bit closer to her new husband, who was speaking more genuinely than any of them had heard in months.

"Look, I have to admit, I wasn't actually sure if I'd be able to get all of you guys to say yes and show up to this thing tonight. Heck, I expected most of you flat-out tell me no, and some of you almost did! But, one way or another, you all showed up anyway, and I just wanted to say... thank you. I know that you've all had a pretty shaky past with me at one point or another and in the past, I've hurt pretty much every last one of you, but you stuck with me to the end and gave me a second a chance, anyway. Heck, you helped me become a better person, each and every one of you! If I'm being completely honest here, you're all probably the first real _friends_ I've ever had, and I probably wouldn't be the man I am today and with the woman that I am now if it wasn't for you guys. I know it's not really all that much, especially after all the crap I've put you guys through, but I really wanted to pull this night together as a show of gratitude for everything you've ever done for me, large and small. It's the least I can do. Thank you for everything, all of you."

Nobody was really sure what to say to that, but at least Bolin was tearing up – just a little bit – while Su placed a hand on the industrialist's shoulder, smiling. She was the first person to give him a second chance after his escape from prison, a chance he almost threw away in leaving with Kuvira. But she gave him shelter and a chance to start over when no one else did, and as a result, her family had almost become like his family and Zaofu like a second home. Those days were some of the best and most inventive of his life. Everybody else, meanwhile, just smiled along with Su, happy to have been able to help and even happier to see him on the right path, rebuilding his company and his reputation – the right way, this time around.

"I have to admit, after everything you did, I found it pretty hard to forgive you. I didn't think you'd ever change. I didn't think you were capable. But you've really proven yourself, Varrick. Bolin's told me about how you and him escaped from Kuvira's army and got those other escapees somewhere safe, and everybody knows how you helped out when she attacked the city with that weapon of hers. Maybe I've been a little too harsh on you lately. When push came to shove, you did the right thing. We should be the ones thanking you." Mako replied, shaking the man's hand and giving him a genuine smile for what had to be the first time. He didn't think he'd ever be willingly talking to this guy, but... here he was. Maybe Bolin was right. He _had_ changed. "Consider this a clean slate. Don't mess it up." He warned.

"Agreed. I didn't think I'd ever be able to forgive you after what you did to my company, and if I'm being perfectly honest, I'm still a little wary of you, but after Kuvira... I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. Ravi's told me in brief how you've helped out around the city, too, especially in regards to Future Industries. Like Mako said, you've really proven yourself lately. It's good to have you on our side, and I actually kind of look forward to working with you in the future." Asami smiled, Varrick sniffing once in response, almost feeling as though he was about to cry.

"Personally, I've always just seen you as a spineless weasel snake, but I've gotta admit, you've actually got guts. I'm really liking my new precinct, too. Maybe you're not as bad as I thought – I can see what my sister saw in you now." Lin nodded, Su shaking her head. Varrick was ready for a clean slate years ago, and when he left with Kuvira, she knew that he only did it in order to try and help out with the rebuilding of the Earth Kingdom, like Bolin. Well, that and the technical challenges Kuvira consistently presented him with – he loved his puzzles and racking that brain of his. Ultimately though, it was a good thing he left. It was probably the last push he needed to finally grow a conscience and think more seriously about what he and his inventions were really capable of.

"Indeed. You've been a big help to Republic City since your return during the whole Kuvira fiasco, and I haven't regretted the decision to unfreeze your assets yet. I can't thank you enough for everything you've done so far, and I look forward to working alongside you and your company in rebuilding Republic City and helping it soar to new heights in the future – along with Ms. Sato and Future Industries, of course." President Raiko explained, the last of the group to speak up in regards to the eccentric genius. Zhu Li instinctively handed her husband a tissue from her purse. He was about ready to bawl.

"You guys..." Varrick managed to get out before accepting his wife's tissue, blowing his nose and wiping the tears from his eyes with his sleeve. "I swear, I won't let you down – any of you. Now then, let's get inside and enjoy this mover!" He exclaimed, raising a finger to the sky before promptly turning around to point to the entrance, walking inside before the rest of the crowd around completely blocked it off in swarming it to get in. The rest of the group nodded in agreement, sticking close together as they walked inside and headed down the hall to the designated VIP balcony, Bolin visibly shaking with excitement. Opal raised an eyebrow. Was he really _this_ excited over a mover? Meanwhile, Tenzin was just hoping there'd be enough room for everybody – he knew at least one more person would be joining them and there were already practically two entire families here plus everybody else.

But, everything was already taken care of ahead of time. Once Varrick showed Ryuuki and the Arena's management his proposed list, he actually paid to have their largest balcony extended out even further as to accommodate everyone included in his "best case scenario" list, a relatively minor construction project that seemed kind of frivolous if you really thought about it, but also like a very "Varrick" thing to do. But hey, he wanted to get _everybody_ in here, he wasn't about to start breaking them up now!

As the group rounded the corner into their recently expanded VIP balcony, they found a blue-eyed and blue-haired man dressed in an extravagant Fire Nation-inspired suit already standing there waiting for them, a man Opal recognized almost immediately from all of the promotional posters of the premiere that'd been set up all around town. Ryuuki Ayatsurishi, star of The Dancing Dragons and one of the greatest actors in the business, or so they said. So _that's_ why Bolin was so excited, he must've found out they'd be sitting with the star. Bolin was the one to drag Opal with him this time as he to claim the seat closest to Ryuuki's before anybody sat down, a big smile stretched across his face.

"MR. RYUUKI. HI. BOLIN AGAIN." He introduced a bit louder than he probably thought he did. "This is my girlfriend, Opal, we're really excited to formally meet you." The Earthbender introduced, shaking the laughing Firebender's hand.

"Yes, yes, it's nice to see you again, Bolin. And it's nice to meet you, as well, Opal. You're one of Suyin's kids, correct?" He asked with a smile, Opal nodding in response as Mako, Korra and Asami entered the room next, taking the seats next to Bolin and Opal's, the Firebending detective putting his hand to his head and shaking it in embarrassment for his little brother. Bolin _had_ to learn how to settle down around his heroes. Ravi, Varrick, Zhu Li, Raiko and Buttercup claimed their seats next, completing the front row, while Tenzin, Pema and the kids and Lin, Suyin and the rest of the Beifong family filled in the second row, bringing the grand total of VIP guests to 10 in the front and 12 in the back, leaving two extra seats surprisingly unoccupied. The bigger surprise to those gathered, however, was the revelation that they got to sit and enjoy the mover with its star, Ryuuki, Asami looking especially delighted by the revelation.

"Right! I told you guys about a "surprise guest" earlier, right? Surprise! I want you all to meet Ryuuki Ayatsurushi–" Varrick began, his wife cutting in for just a moment.

"Ayatsurishi." She corrected.

"Right, that's what I said, Ayatsurishi." Varrick amended, shrugging his shoulders. Fire Nation names, what could you do? They always gave him a little trouble. "Anyway, yeah, Ryuuki: the greatest actor movers have ever seen! He was the one who _really_ made tonight possible, I just helped fund this thing and put together the guest list!" The billionaire introduced, Ryuuki smiling, waving hello. Looking around however, Asami noticed almost immediately that Korra didn't seem to be as surprised by Varrick's announcement as everybody else was, much like Bolin before her. In fact, Bolin had spoken earlier as if they'd met before. She knew about this beforehand, didn't she?

"Did you know about this?" Asami asked, Korra nodding confidently in response. And she didn't tell her? How rude.

"Bolin and I bumped into him earlier today when we were helping set up security for tonight's event." Korra explained. "He accidentally let it slip to us that we'd all be sharing a balcony together and asked me not to tell anyone since Varrick initially intended to surprise us." She knew how much Asami liked spoilers, but hey, she'd promised.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Ayatsurishi. I'm a big fan of your work." Asami introduced, taking the chance to shake the blue-eyed Firebender's hand before the lot of them took their seats.

"Ah, Ms. Sato! It's my pleasure. Congratulations on your betrothal, by the way. I bumped into your fiancee a little earlier, but I never did get to congratulate the two of you. I wish you a long and happy marriage, whenever you two decide to tie that knot." Ryuuki smiled, Asami returning the favor, thanking him for his kind wishes. "I've been told that your company will be putting my donation to good use in rebuilding the poorer neighborhoods of the city. I look forward to seeing this place get back on its feet – it's really done a lot for me, and it hurts seeing it in such a desperate state. 2 million yuans isn't really all that much in the long run, but... it's a start." He explained.

"2 million yuans is more than a start, that should be enough to get a couple of neighborhoods fully restored, at least." Asami replied. "It might not fix the _whole_ city, but maybe it'll inspire similar donations from others. Either way, I will see to it that Future Industries makes the most of it." She assured. Ryuuki nodded, finishing up with Asami and walking over to meet the rest of Varrick's guests, shaking the hands of Raiko and Buttercup, Varrick and Zhu Li, almost the entirety of the Beifong family and Pema and Tenzin and all of the Airbender kids save for Rohan and Jinora, who recoiled almost as soon as his hand had touched hers.

Ryuuki and Tenzin both raised an eyebrow while Jinora just stood there, shocked, looking as though she'd just seen a ghost. What the hell _was_ that? When she touched him, it almost felt like... Kai immediately tended to the girl, asking her if something was wrong, but she quickly shook her head and shrugged off whatever it was that had caught her off guard, claiming that she was fine and smiling once again, immediately reaching her arm back out to shake his hand more confidently. "Sorry; when I touched your hand, you kind of shocked me, it was weird. Just some static electricity, I guess." She explained, a little uncertain of her rationalization but adhering to it nonetheless. Ryuuki laughed.

"Sorry about that. I was practicing my Lightningbending earlier this evening, I guess there was still a little pent up energy. I'm surprised I didn't shock anybody else, though. Hmm... weird." Ryuuki shrugged. Must've been a fluke.

"You can Lightningbend?" Mako asked, the blue-haired man simply nodding in response. Well, he _was_ described as a talented Firebender...

"Just a little something I picked up over the years. I'm not really much of a fighter, but I take my bending practice pretty seriously." He smiled, Mako smirking in response. It'd been a while since he'd encountered another Lightningbender. At least, one that wasn't dead or a Triad member, anyway.

Right then, with introductions out of the way and everybody finally seated, it was time to make that donation of his and get this show on the road. Adjusting his suit and tie, Ryuuki walked back over to the door and motioned for the press that were waiting outside to enter the balcony, bringing with them at least two separate photographers and a microphone he connected to the Arena's sound system, which they then handed to Ryuuki so that he could officially start off the premiere. Tapping it twice to make sure that it was on, the blue-eyed Firebender took a deep breath and began his opening speech.

"Right, is this thing on? Excellent, excellent..." He opened, clearly at a bit of a loss as to how to start this thing. "...Ah, how do you even start something like this?" He asked rather awkwardly, scratching the top of his head. "Well, I guess the best place to start would be a formal welcome to the premiere my new mover, as well as a thank you to everybody for actually showing up. I know that things haven't really been all that great in Republic City lately, especially these last few days, but that's why I really wanted to put this thing together and why I decided to make it free to the public, so that anybody could participate, regardless of how badly they were or weren't affected by Kuvira's attack." Ryuuki opened, gradually settling in to the role of public speaker.

"I've said it before in interviews, but Republic City is where I got my start. I was just a poor immigrant from the Fire Nation before an up and coming mover director saw me and decided to give me a chance at stardom, right here, in this city. It was a small film, but it led to big things. It changed everything. _Republic City_ changed everything. In the end though, I'm just an actor, there's not much _I_ can really do. But I _can_ at least put on a show and devote some of my personal fortune to seeing this city shine once again, and to that end, I am officially donating this check of 2 million yuans to President Raiko of the United Republic and Ms. Sato of Future Industries, in hopes that with this donation, I may be able to help the people who once helped me." He concluded.

The crowd cheered and cameras flashed as Ryuuki signed the check in question, Raiko and Asami rising from their seats to accept it, the three of them posing for a picture together with the large check in hand before the press at the back of the balcony left the group to their evening, though they were sure to snap at least one more picture of Korra and Asami together before they did, much to the Avatar's chagrin. Korra wasn't really comfortable with making such a public spectacle out of her relationship, but... pomp and circumstance. Right now, Republic City could use a little distraction, so as its Avatar, for now, this was just the role she'd have to fill.

With the press finally gone and the donation out of the way, the time had finally come for the start of the mover, Ryuuki leaning out of the balcony and giving the crew assembled around the projector in the balcony to their left the go ahead to get started. _Finally_.

Korra smiled, holding on to her fiancee's hand as "The Dancing Dragons" finally began, visibly excited to be watching her very first mover. And for the first hour and a half or so of the nearly 2 hour film, everything went off without a hitch. Korra was almost immediately absorbed into the world of the mover, and Opal looked like a kid in a candy shop, excited to see one of her favorite books come to life on screen. Even Lin and Mako seemed to be getting into the story somewhat, though they kept their attention even split between the mover and the crowd, keeping a look out for anything out of the ordinary, which for most of the mover, was nothing. However, just as the group had feared, an event as big as this one was just too good to pass up... as nice as the night had been thus far, there was just no chance that it could last forever.

Out of nowhere, Korra's grip on Asami's hand had drastically tightened, almost causing the engineer to yelp in surprise as the Water Tribe girl almost doubled over in shock, feeling sick to her stomach for the second time that day, the same brutally intense feeling she'd experienced in the Spirit Wilds earlier on having suddenly overtaken her. "No..." She whispered, Asami becoming increasingly alarmed as her fiancee looked to be becoming increasingly more distraught.

"Korra!?" She nearly shouted, immediately jumping out of her seat and kneeling down in front of her, tending to the girl and catching the group by surprise. Was something wrong? A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Korra's face, her body feeling as though it was going numb. This feeling... this wasn't good. There was no doubt about it, she knew _exactly_ what this was. And she wasn't the only one feeling it, too – Jinora was also being affected by the sudden spiritual presence, feeling as though her head was about to pop and screaming out in pain as she raised her hands to hold onto it, shocked by the sudden pressure and associated agony, Kai and Tenzin both almost having a heart attack at the sound of Jinora's voice.

"Jinora, what's wrong?" Kai asked, Raiko and Varrick exchanging a look. Had the Chi Eater decided to show up after all? Raiko looked over in Lin's direction, who in turn looked over in Mako's, the two police officials exchanging a nod as the group in the balcony began to stir. Alarmed by Korra's and Jinora's sudden reaction, Ryuuki looked over to Bolin and Opal to his left, the two of them having risen to their seats to tend to the girls in question, the blue-haired mover star looking confused as to what was going on. Had they suddenly gotten sick or something?

"? What's going on?" Ryuuki asked as his and Varrick's guests began rising from their seats, growing increasingly more agitated. Su and her kids immediately looked over to Lin, asking what was going on, the Chief of Police shrugging her shoulders but stating she had an idea, telling her sister and her family to get ready to leave the area. Ryuuki's eyes narrowed. Something was going on, something bad. "Is the Avatar alright? Did something happen?" He asked.

"Something's coming. Something bad. I haven't felt anything like this since..." Jinora replied, continuing to hold onto her head with her hands, Korra beginning doing the same as her ears began violently ringing. Talk about spiritual pressure, it felt their skulls were about ready to explode. What the hell _was_ this thing? This was almost like...

"It almost feels worse than Vaatu..." Korra whispered. The color drained from Asami's face as it hit her what was going on. _It was __coming_. Korra released her grip of Asami's hand and clenched her fists, taking a deep breath and shaking off the sickening feeling that was overtaking her and rising up from her seat, catching her fiancee by surprise. "Everybody, get ready – it's coming. The Chi Eater's here." She warned, closing her eyes and trying to calm herself down and ease the ringing in her head.

Everybody's expressions immediately became grim, Ryuuki's especially. So, the Chi Eater had decided to attack his event after all, had it? He glanced over at the President who was now rising from his seat with his wife, the two of them being escorted by Lin and Mako out of the balcony along with Varrick and Zhu Li. It seemed as though they'd planned for this in advance, fully expecting the Chi Eater to show up at one point or another during the evening, though everybody gathered at least _hoped_ that it wouldn't. But since when had things ever been easy for them?

Before the mover star could press the group for more answers, however, the power within the Arena flickered, the projector cutting in and out as a low _thud_ resounded from the opposite end of the building like distant thunder. An eerie silence befell the room as everybody became deathly still, the power flickering again as another _thud_ echoed, this one causing the sea of attendees below to whisper amongst themselves. Was this part of the show?

Suddenly, a woman's shrill scream broke the silence and a wall in the stands opposite the side of the VIP balcony exploded open, an otherworldly screech piercing the Arena as a writhing black and blue _thing_ made its presence known, Korra immediately falling to her knees as she and everybody else in the makeshift theater covered their ears with their hands, tightly closing their eyes in discomfort. _It was here_.

The Chi Eater disappeared into a blur in what sounded like a clap of thunder, smashing into the center of the Pro Bending Ring with enough force to make the entire man made island shake, positioning itself to get the best possible view of the now screaming sea of potential targets all around it. As it growled and surveyed its new hunting grounds, the Arena erupted into panic, the lights continuing to flicker on and off and the sound system no longer functional as people rushed to find an exit, crawling over one another in horror.

Korra quickly reoriented herself, rising back onto her feet and feeling as though she'd been hit in the head with a brick. So much for a nice night on the town. Things would never be easy for her, would they? "Everybody get out of here now! I'm going to go put an end to this thing's killing spree once and for all!" Korra demanded, ripping off her suit's jacket and tie and cracking her neck as she walked over to the end of the balcony, getting ready to hop up onto the ledge and jump down into the ring with an Airbending assist – and she would have, too, if Bolin hadn't suddenly grabbed hold of her arm and interrupted her.

"Not alone you're not!" The Earthbender announced, immediately grabbing hold of his friend's arm in order to stop her from doing something stupid. "You heard what Gonzo said, Korra, this thing's no joke. I'm not letting you rush in there alone." He declared as he let go, Opal frowning and Korra grimacing in response. She was afraid this was going to happen. "Opal, stay close to Su and the rest of your family – I'll take care of this." Bolin said, the young Beifong reluctantly nodding in agreement. Korra grit her teeth, but before she could speak up and protest, her intentions were interrupted now by Tenzin, echoing the Earthbender's sentiments.

"Neither am I. Su, Opal, Jinora – you three make sure that our families make it out of here safe and sound and then see if you can't help Lin's department evacuate the area in a more orderly fashion. I'm going to help Korra and Bolin take this thing down once and for all." Tenzin exclaimed, an especially determined expression on his face. There would be no "cutting and running" this time – he was going to make sure that this thing was stopped before it got anywhere near _his_ family. The three in question nodded, grabbing their respective families and heading out for the exit.

Korra, however, remained obstinate, not wanting to get anybody else involved in this or put any of her friends in harm's way. This wasn't another bender or some new machine or anything like that, this was a spirit. This was Avatar business, and _dangerous_ business at that. She wasn't about to let them die because of her or some monster her past lives had failed to take care of for more than a thousand years.

"Bolin, Tenzin, I appreciate it, but you guys should leave this to me. We don't know what this thing is fully capable of, I don't want you to–" Before she could finish, however, Asami had caught her fiancee's attention in the same way as Bolin, grabbing hold of her arm and cutting her off with a look more intense than she'd seen in months, the blue-eyed girl closing her mouth and immediately falling silent. Asami was _pissed_.

"Don't even think about it, Korra." She harshly warned, knowing full well what her fiancee was thinking. She wanted to go down there and play hero all by her lonesome again. She got that this was pretty much the Avatar's job, but it was insanity to go at this thing alone when she had absolutely no reason to.

"Asami, I–" The green-eyed girl shook her head, interrupting Korra before she could say anything else.

"You know what spirits are capable of, but so do they. You're going to need all the help you can get, Korra. You are _not_ taking that thing on alone, not if you don't have to." Asami declared, Korra sighing in frustration. This girl was never going to let her have her way, was she?

"No, she's not." Ravi replied, finally rising up from his seat. He'd remained remarkably calm during recent downturn in events, but as he began cracking his neck and knuckles and loosening up for the impending fight, it seemed as though he was finally starting to get a little fired up, not that his face really showed it. But his eyes... those eyes didn't lie. "Asami, you should help Su and the others with evacuating the Arena. Leave this one to us benders." He suggested, the engineer nodding in response. She knew she didn't stand a chance against a spirit, she just wanted to make sure her fiancee wasn't an idiot before she left. She looked back to Korra, her emerald eyes alight with both determination and concern, the Water Tribe girl's own unable to focus on them for more than a second before looking away. In that one instant, it'd become abundantly clear whose will was strongest here. She really wasn't going to be able to argue this one.

"Aye, aye, I'm not about to let this thing get away from here alive, either, y'know." Ryuuki stated with reluctance, shaking his head and undoing his cuffs to remove his suit's jacket, much like Korra before him. Seemed he was going to be jumping into the fray, as well. "It just ruined my premiere, and right before the end of the mover, no less! I'm not about to let it undo everything I've worked for completely unpunished." He spat, gritting his teeth. He didn't really like to fight, but he wasn't about to let this thing walk all over his premiere plans, either. He was trying to do something nice for the city, and this thing was kind of the exact opposite of that. It was going to _pay_.

"You guys..." Korra trailed, not really sure what to say. Her eyes darted back over to Asami's, the dark-haired girl's hold on the Avatar's left arm never having loosened since she'd grabbed hold a few minutes prior. The two remained silent, speaking entirely through the look they shared alone, Korra's aqua-colored eyes welling up with concern for the older girl and urging her to get going while also lacking the stubborn recklessness of before, a detail which drew a sigh of relief from Asami's lips, as well as a slight smile. Asami nodded, sure that Lin and Mako would be joining in as well once they had the situation with the rest of the mover's attendees under control.

"Don't do anything stupid, Korra." Asami warned, finally letting go of her fiancee's arm. "Be careful down there, okay?" She wished. Korra smiled warmly, giving the taller girl a brief kiss on the lips, brushing a lock of hair from her face as she pulled away, nodding once.

"I will be. Don't worry." She promised. "You're just lucky our friends are a bunch of dumbasses," She began with a smirk, turning around as the look on her face became a bit more confident, pounding her fist into her hand as she pumped herself up for the upcoming fight. "As you're so keen on reminding me, I'm not alone, right?" She asked, looking over at Ryuuki, Bolin, Tenzin and Ravi to her right and left, the four of them looking about as determined as she was, the newly-trained Metalbender on her far left giving a cocky grin of his own. Fighting alongside the Avatar, huh? He was kind of glad he'd showed up to this premiere after all.

Two Earthbenders, an Airbender, a Firebending actor and herself, the Avatar. If this wouldn't be enough to stop the Chi Eater in its tracks, she didn't know what would be. Hopping on to the ledge of the balcony as Asami walked off to locate Lin and the others, confident that Korra would be alright, the girl in question narrowed her eyes, focusing intently on the exceptionally dark-colored spirit-like creature that was still affixed to the center of the Pro Bending Ring. It looked unstable, as though it wasn't able to completely maintain its current form, and had an eerie azure glow to its otherwise pitch-dark translucent body. Why hadn't it launched any attacks yet? It must've gone through a couple of Metalbenders on its way here through that wall – was it still digesting their chi, maybe?

Whatever the case, her target now was clear. No more hiding, no more running, no more worrying – it was time to take this fucker down, once and for all. Taking one more deep breath in and out, Korra resolved herself for whatever was about to happen next.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road."


	6. A Night at the Theater, Part 2

**Chapter Six**

**A Night at the Theater, Part 2**

"Alright, let's get this show on the road."

There was no time to waste. This thing had to go down, _now_. Before she had even resolved herself to leap from the balcony's edge, Korra had fired off some rather impressively sized blasts of fire from her fists with two energetic punches into the air, only deciding to leap as she sent her left fist forward to deliver the second attack, propelling herself toward the Pro Bending Ring in the middle of the Arena with a leap enhanced by a forceful expulsion of air from her feet. At the same time, Ravi and Ryuuki reinforced Korra's Firebending assault with attacks of their own, the two of them working both separately and together simultaneously as they almost instinctively pooled their efforts to get as much done in as short a time as possible.

Ravi struck first, the red-haired giant taking on a stance not too dissimilar from a modern day boxer and striking at the air twice with his fists, a right and left jab, bending two sizable chunks of the wall from behind the recently cleared stadium seats below them in the Chi Eater's direction, demonstrating a considerable level of strength and Earthbending proficiency by the scale and speed of the stone he had slung while Ryuuki immediately resorted to his Lightningbending, electrical power building in his finger tips as he began to trace an unusual path. He first drew his right arm up and above his left shoulder before pulling it down and behind him on his right side, Bolin getting that same sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach that he got whenever his brother conjured up lightning and looking immediately to his left, captivated by his acting idol's proficiency with his given element.

Ryuuki craned his body along with the movements of his arm, crouching down into what was essentially a low stance as he fully extended his limb behind him, his movements looking strained and deliberate, like he was pushing back a spring and building up tension as electricity trailed his movements. Then, violently, Ryuuki sprang back up and forward into a standing position, his chest now facing Bolin to his left, his right arm being thrust forward with tremendous force, bright blue lightning exploding from the tips of his middle and index fingers and aimed straight for the Chi Eater's core. He may not have liked to fight, but that wasn't to say he didn't know how – clearly, Ryuuki was a force to be reckoned with.

Meanwhile, the younger Earthbender to Ryuuki's left regained his bearings, shaking off the uncomfortable feeling associated with lightning conjuring as he stepped back as far as he could, preparing himself mentally for what he was about to do and then simply running forward as fast as his legs could carry him, leaping from the balcony at the same instant Ryuuki released his wrath, bending the stone beneath his feet to boost the distance he could leap while Tenzin simply engaged the wings of his trusty glider suit, bending the air currents so that he could soar smoothly down to the battlefield at the building's core.

Their attacks now completed, Ryuuki and Ravi followed suit, Ryuuki propelling himself with intense jets of flame from his fists while Ravi mimicked Bolin, the four benders having _just_ propelled themselves through the air when Korra landed on the edge of the Pro Bending Ring, coming face to face with the so-called Chi Eater.

Sensing the nearby manipulation of chi, the abomination in question snapped to attention, its dripping black form looking in the direction of the VIP balcony only to witness two sizable blasts of fire, two large chunks of stone and a rather painful looking bolt of lightning heading straight for it. A low growl emanated from the creature's throat that sounded like an old engine struggling to turn, its form beginning to blur before it had even moved, darting first to its immediate left and then to its right, almost looking as though it was teleporting with the speed at which it was moving, avoiding the initial attacks from Korra and Ravi while it manipulated its body to create a literal hole for the lightning to pass through its center unimpeded, returning to its usual state immediately after. Clearly, it was taunting them.

It was around the time that the lightning had zipped through the malleable monstrosity's body that Korra had made contact with the Pro Bending Ring, noting its obvious taunt but remaining undeterred. She immediately shifted elements from Fire to Earth as she pulled up multiple earthen discs from the arena's floor and hurled them at the spirit-like entity with her punches. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5: 5 Pro Bending discs, but the creature didn't even bother to move, permitting them to collide with its semi-gelatinous form and shatter harmlessly against its "flesh", the azure glow that surrounded it seeming to pulsate at a steady rhythm that mimicked its breathing, which remained calm and steady. From this close, its spiritual presence was almost crippling, but Korra persevered, huffing once and then taking a moment to get a good, long look at her elusive foe.

The creature which she had taken to calling the Chi Eater stood at almost twice her height, hovering somewhere around 10 or 11 feet tall, and did not in any way resemble anything from our world – or the Spirit World, for that matter. It looked unstable, almost as though it was sick, and its "flesh" was in a constant state of flux. Beyond the thin azure aura that matched the color of its similarly glowing blank, circular eyes, the outer layer of its body was literally dripping off of it and onto the ground like viscous, inky raindrops, collecting into oily black puddles which almost seemed to radiate darkness and which quickly disappeared whenever it moved, and never seemed to grow beyond a certain point.

Similarly, no matter how much of its form dripped from its elbows, knees and chin, it never seemed to actually lose any mass, a seemingly infinite amount of its "flesh" pooling back to replace whatever was lost. While it lacked teeth in a traditional sense, its mouth and jaw were shaped in such a way that jagged protrusions that could be conceivably referred to as teeth stood in as their replacement, and as it stared at her, simply breathing, Korra could see an eerie azure glow like the one that surrounded it emanating from its throat, coming from somewhere deep within and illuminating a forked, serpentine tongue.

A long whip-like tail lashed out behind it as it stared the Avatar down, studying her, smelling her, _memorizing_ her. She could feel a chill run down her spine as she stared the crouching creature down in turn, studying it in the same way it was studying her, Korra questioning what the hell she was actually looking at right now. Was this thing really a spirit? It was beyond anything she had ever encountered before, it was beyond anything she'd ever even conceived of before. From up this close, it felt... it felt...

Suddenly, everything went black, Korra's sense of hearing overtaken by the sound of a dozen voices whispering at once and talking over one another from all around her, desperate to reach out to her and capture her attention. The young Avatar froze, her eyes wide, beads of sweat beginning to form and roll down the side of her face as she struggled to listen to the countless indiscernible whispers, the world around her having been reduced to one of infinite nothingness, impenetrable black surrounding her so that only she and the alarmingly calm Chi Eater remained. Its breaths were slow, rhythmic and deafening while hers were short and shallow, painful.

Fear coursed through her veins as the whispers grew louder and louder and louder still, becoming increasingly more desperate all the while, her body not responding to her terrified demands to move. She was petrified, her eyes locked on to the Chi Eater's own as she felt as though a message was being etched into her consciousness, a message she somehow felt to be the same as the whispers she couldn't decipher. Korra gulped, feeling every letter, every syllable carving itself into the periphery of her awareness, broken, shaky, struggled. Was it... asking for her help?

"̶̛͉̹̪̤̥̫͇ͤ͌ͧͬ͛͂s̰̱̠̭̠̯̒́ͯ̿ͧ͌̃̊͘.͕͍̺͇̅̄ͨ̋ͬ͞.̨̖̱̻͙̬͚̳͇̞͐ͤ̽̎͘.̵̱̜̳̟̣̙̝ͣ̄̇a̶͔͖ͭ̾̅̾ͨv̨̰͖̥̲̮̤̤̎͂̀ͦ̑ͧ͆͊̾.̷̨͖̲͙̳̰̹̩͕̎̆.̸̧̦̞̺͔̓ͣ̃ͦ̐̌ͬ͡ͅ.̭̞͉̣͕̞̯̀ͤͅè̴̻̳̞̘̓͌ ̫͖̬̲̣̣̺͈̑̊̂̿́̓ͮ̍u̸̪͈̬̩̣̞̣͎̔ͫ̓ͅ.̲͍̠̬͌̓̑̔ͪͬͯ̿́͞.̴͕̪͖͎͌ͨ̊͝.̢̰̪͛̃͐̂͝ͅͅsͧ͐̔ͭ͏̬͖̣.̸̧̮̼̠̪͉͔̼̣ͨ͒̾.̘͙͉̐ͪ.͚̘͙͖̂̋̄̅͂ͪ̔͛͌ͅ"̰͔̳̈͗͗ͦ͆̑ͯ̌̚͞

"...What?" She whispered, her gaze softening. Did she just... hear that? The terror that had paralyzed her moments before was now replaced by confusion, the blue-eyed girl hesitantly extending her right arm as if she were about to reach out to the Chi Eater, which simply continued to stand there, quiet, calm. It just breathed as she lowered her arm again, the sensation of another message etching itself into her consciousness stopping her before she could get any closer.

"̸͕͎̯̳̭̩̖͈̮̋͞f̧̬̩̳̦̒ͬrͣ͏̵̪̗̼͚̘̦̗̘̀ͅȅ̶̢̩͊̆.̷̴̙̬̗͎̟͈͌̇̇͞.̵̡̲͉̜̞̋ͥͬͭͦ͒̏̉͂͘.̨̛͓͓̏̑͑ͣ͗e̸̵̞͚̣̰̣̗ͮ̓̽̓̇ͭ̚͝.̩̰͖͕͒ͬ͒͋̒̆̀͟.̧̯̳͓͍̝͑ͭ́͟.̡̨̜͇̹̖͕̙̏ͤ͊̏̾ͤͨ̚͘ ̨͔̰̟̮͉̮͍̜͂̑̾̄̚͢u̶̬͂̓̄̃̇ͪͪ.̛̹ͩ͆ͣͣ͋ͣ̄̚.ͤͦ͐͆̃̓̽̾̑̕͏͙̭͎͈.̦͇̤ͥͤ͒͌̈̒ͬ̀͠s̹͔̎̇́̽͗͟.̶̶̵̠͚̬̳̤̃̋͐̑͒.̧̗̹̻̺͕͇̻͇̘̎ͬ́̉.̸̦͔̱͇ͭ̎͛̄̓ͣ͗́͝ ̼̠̿̅͑̈́̐p̅̀͆҉̳̘͇́l̵̖̙͙̲ͯ̇̌ͯe̵̼̱̗̾ͧ̈́̇ả̡̰̞̙̽ͣ̈̓̂̓̉̕͘s̸̖̤͕̘͈̙̘͇̄͑̅͑ͮ̔ͤ̋͝.͚̼͎̞̖̱̟̎ͧ̈́̌̆̓͡.ͨ̍̽̉҉̟͝.̡̟̙̙̟̎̄̿̀e̶͛̽̀̿ͭ͏̼͖̕"̖̮̝͐̀͗ͨ͟

"I..." Was it... was it asking Korra to save it? From what? She had no idea what to say, what to ask. The things it was asking her – or, at least, that she thought it was asking her – were at odds with its sickening aura and the look in its eyes, at odds with everything it had done up until this point, the people it had killed. Suddenly, the Chi Eater pulled its body back, inhaling deeply, Korra's eyes widening as she snapped back to reality and the world returned to normal around her.

"What!?" She yelped in surprise, looking around. What just happened? Was she back? Was she ever even gone? Before she could completely regain her bearings, she could see it, in the corner of her eye – the monster was finally preparing to do something. Whipping her head back around to face her opponent, Korra instinctively threw up her hands to Firebend in its direction and defend herself, but she was too late. It was ready to attack.

"GYYYYYYYYYYAAAAHHHH!" The creature lunged forward again, its mouth swinging open and inky black blots of its revolting form flying out as they dripped from its teeth like saliva, releasing an ear-piercing scream that generated a shock wave which sent Korra flying off of the side of the ring not even 15 seconds after she'd set foot on it, the Water Tribe girl landing in the water below with a loud splash.

"Korra!" Tenzin cried out, reorienting his flight path before he had landed so that he could dive down toward the water and see if she was okay while Bolin, Ravi and Ryuuki landed on the ring to take on the so-called Chi Eater in his and the Avatar's stead. Now that it was done with its little staring contest with the Avatar, it no longer seemed content with simply standing there, its focus shifting from the direction it'd sent Korra flying as it turned to face the three new meals which had so generously delivered themselves to it without the need for it to chase them down. That same inky blackness dripped from its teeth like drool as it eyed the three benders, hungry. It was time to eat.

Meanwhile, down below, Korra bobbed up from the water affectionately referred to as "the drink" by those in the Pro Bending circuit, coughing the ice-cold liquid up out of her lungs as she dragged herself over to the area immediately beneath the ring where she, Mako and Bolin had been tied up by Equalists almost 4 years prior, trying to catch her breath. What the hell just happened? First she felt like her head was going to explode from this thing's presence alone, then it seemed as though she'd been transported to some other world, then it seemed like it was asking her for help, and then it just attacks her out of the blue? Why? What was it trying to do? Was any of that even real?

As she took a moment to gather back up her strength and went over the events in her head, Tenzin swooped down from above, landing to her right and prompting the girl to look up at him as he immediately came to her aid, making sure that she was okay. As she looked up, she felt a sharp pain in her head, the pressure she'd been feeling before not having subsided any, especially not after a blow like that. If she didn't have a migraine before, she definitely had one now. "Korra, are you okay? What happened?" He asked.

"That's what I'd like to know..." Korra mumbled, rubbing the side of her head in an attempt to relieve her pain, still puzzling over what'd just happened to her. If that was real, then maybe Tenzin had seen something? Hoping he might be able to help shed some light on the situation, she looked up at her old Airbending instructor, skipping straight to the point, as per usual. "Did I... disappear?" She asked. It felt like she did. It felt like she'd been taken... _somewhere_. Somewhere dark, cold, lonely. Somewhere there was no hope, there was no escape. It felt so real, she wondered if maybe it was. But Tenzin looked confused, raising an eyebrow at her question.

"...What? Disappear?" He asked, hoping he could get some more details out of her, but the look in her eyes told him she was still trying to figure those out, herself. "...No. You landed in front of the Chi Eater, got in a few hits with your Earthbending, and then you just... stood there. Neither of you did anything until the four of us were about to land, then it suddenly arched itself back, screamed and sent you flying over the edge." Tenzin explained. Korra looked down. So... it wasn't real? Then that message... was it all just in her head? She reviewed what she thought had happened again.

From Korra's perspective, her encounter with the Chi Eater felt as though it had dragged on for well over a minute, perhaps even two, and had thrust her into some sort of alternate world, somewhere dark and inescapable, separate from both the Physical and Spiritual Worlds. From what Tenzin had described, however, it seemed that from the perspective of everybody else, the scene had unfolded very differently and much more quickly, with Korra landing on the Pro Bending Ring first, firing off a few earthen discs, and then just standing there completely motionless for 10 seconds while she and the Chi Eater stared each other down. Was that what _really_ happened?

"Did you... go somewhere?" He asked. Korra fell silent. _Did_ she go somewhere?

"...I... don't know." Was all she could think to reply. She really didn't know. Tenzin looked concerned. Could her status as the Avatar have left her open to some form of spiritual attack they hadn't anticipated? Korra huffed. Even face-to-face, nothing about this "Chi Eater" made any sense to her. But after what she'd just experienced, she was beginning to wonder. Maybe there was more to this thing and this situation than she'd been led to believe. Maybe things weren't quite exactly as they appeared.

Clearly, this... _thing_ was responsible for the killings, it'd been witnessed performing them the other night. But she wondered... what was responsible for turning it into what it was in the first place? And if it really was the cold-blooded killer following a 25 year feeding cycle she'd first heard about at the precinct, then why was it asking her for help? Could that have been something else? Maybe it didn't even happen at all. Maybe she just froze in fear and hallucinated the whole thing. Maybe she was just starting to go crazy under all this pressure. Sensing her frustration, Raava stirred, catching the Avatar's attention. Korra could feel it – she wanted to talk. Tenzin hummed, opening his mouth to speak, but before he could ask anymore questions, he was interrupted by Korra, who was announcing a new plan of attack for the time being.

"I'm going to talk to Raava. Get back up there and help Bolin, Ravi and Ryuuki hold this thing off and keep it away from my body while I try to come up with some answers and a battle plan." She requested, Tenzin nodding in understanding and leaving her side as directed, heading back up to the Pro Bending Ring above to lend some Air support. Korra might not have had the wisdom of her past lives to call on anymore, but that didn't mean the Avatar was alone. She still had Raava. She would always have Raava. Sighing, Korra adjusted her sitting position to that of the lotus, closing her eyes and putting her fists together, meditating so that she could contact the spirit of light intertwined with her soul and bring her consciousness to the surface.

"_Raava, what is this thing? Was any of what just happened to me real?"_ Korra asked, desperate for some answers and hoping the spirit inside of her might have some insight into the situation that she didn't.

"_Do not second guess yourself, Korra, what you experienced was real. I felt it too, __t__hat spirit was calling out to us. And yes – mutilated though it may be, that is in fact a spirit, and a very powerful one at that."_ Raava corroborated, causing the young Avatar to let out a proverbial sigh of relief. So she _wasn't_ going crazy. At least there was that. But what she said about it being a spirit troubled her. After finally seeing the thing with her own eyes, she could definitely see that it wasn't human _or_ animal, but it didn't look like any spirit she'd ever seen, either. What ever could happened to it to have turned it into _that_? Was it a side-effect of its infamous chi eating, perhaps?

"_So then what I saw... that was..."_ She began, trying to piece the situation together in her mind.

"_That was its soul. I do not know what happened to that spirit, nor what spirit it is, but it has been gravely corrupted. It feels... unnatural. Whatever has caused this spirit to become what you saw has ripped it apart from the inside out in doing so, __i__t is incredibly unstable. __I am also unable to get a clear sense of it. Even now, when I am certain of its location, I feel a degree of uncertainty, as though it is bouncing between multiple places at once and its energy is being twisted up and contorted by something, __manipulated__. __In truth__, i__t almost feels as though it is not one, but multiple spirits."_ Raava explained. Multiple spirits? That would certainly explain the spiritual pressure she was feeling whenever it drew near. No wonder it felt worse than Vaatu. Strong as he was, even Vaatu was just one spirit, in the end. If that was the case... if this felt like multiple spirits...

"_...__If that's the case... if this thing is eating people's chi... could it be eating their souls, as well?" _Korra asked. What was she getting at?_ "__If it can eat spirits whole and kill them, then maybe the people __that__ it kills suffer a similar fate. Do you think... do you think __that __maybe everybody it's __ever __killed, __human or spirit,__ is still __alive __in there, somewhere? __Trapped? Do you think __that __maybe __they temporarily managed to take control of it so that they could ask us for help?"_ Raava thought for a moment.

It wasn't impossible. After all, she had done it in the past so that the current Avatar could maintain a connection to their past lives and call upon their wisdom for guidance in times of trouble, but this was a little bit different from that. Raava and the Avatar existed willingly as one, while the Chi Eater appeared to be forcing this scenario onto others by devouring their energy whole, collecting it inside of itself for some unknown purpose. She couldn't fathom _why_ a spirit would want to do this, but she was beginning to believe that perhaps Korra was on to something. She couldn't help but wonder how intact these spirits actually were, however, and if maybe what'd made contact with her and Korra were little more than ghosts, crying out one more time for the Chi Eater's cycle to be put to an end, once and for all; residual imprints of spirits that once were, but had since degraded into little more than fuel for this eternal nightmare.

"_...__I do not know for sure. If it is indeed eating other spirits, then __I suppose __it __might be__ possible, yes, __just as it is possible that this gravely corrupted state is something it has inflicted upon itself. For all we know, w__e may have yet to __make__ contact with the central spirit responsible for all of these killings. The only thing that leaves me perplexed is the reason as to why a spirit would willingly do this to itself, let alone inflict such harm onto others in the process. It is drawing tremendous amounts of power from those it has __devoured__, but it seems as though it is barely able to contain it all. I cannot fathom why a spirit of all things would seek such destructive capability. It seems more like something your kind would seek to do... __no offense__."_ Korra laughed.

"_No, you're right, it does seem like a very human thing to do. Well, if we operate off of this theory, then maybe things aren't so hopeless after all. If I can get it pinned down, I might be able to use Unalaq's purification ritual to free the spirits trapped within it and undo the damage it's done to itself. We might be able to not just stop it, but save it, too."_ If Raava had a face, she would be smiling right about now. It touched her soul to see such kindness in her Avatars. Even after all it had done, Korra still wished to save this spirit as opposed to kill it, though she knew her avatar had resolved herself to do just that if the situation called for it. Raava, too, was prepared. She honestly had no idea which way this battle would go, she didn't believe she'd ever encountered anything quite like this creature before.

"_As vile as that man was, I must admit that his knowledge of spiritual matters was extensive, and his healing technique is quite useful. I will have to be sure to pass it down to future Avatars, along with Energybending."_ Raava thought aloud. Korra smirked. And what was she, chopped liver? The Avatar cycle would be starting over with her – she'd be there to pass those things down as well. _"Just be warned, Korra, I do not believe what contacted us is fully sentient, anymore. Even if we may be able to save the Chi Eater, the __s__pirits it has eaten may no longer be salvageable, let alone complete."_ She warned.

"_I know... but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try, anyway."_ Korra replied. It was worth a shot. Having discussed the matter with Raava as far as she thought she'd be able to, Korra opened her eyes, returning to the real world. Her ears twitched as they caught wind of the sounds of battle raging on above, the young Water Tribe girl wondering how long she had spent meditating when taken in real time. If that encounter with the Chi Eater – or rather, the souls trapped inside of the Chi Eater – had shown her anything, it was that time flowed differently in one's mind and soul than it did in reality. Like a dream, one could suppose.

Now armed with what she felt to be a better understanding of the enemy she was faced with, Korra resolved herself once more for battle, shaking off the pain of its presence and determined to set free those it had imprisoned inside of itself. As much as she may have wanted to know why the Chi Eater was doing all of this, it was far from the most important thing right now. Rising quickly back onto her feet with an Airbending assist, Korra ran to the edge of the concrete foundation and jumped back into the water the Chi Eater had knocked her into moments prior, diving down as deep as she could go before shifting into the Avatar State and calling on Raava's power for assistance, rotating the water violently around her as she propelled herself back up to its surface with her Waterbending.

Back atop the Pro Bending Ring, Tenzin, Ravi, Ryuuki and Bolin were engaged in a fierce battle with the corrupted spirit, the devastatingly malleable monster weaving and contorting through oncoming attacks from Tenzin and Ryuuki with little effort, the unusual intensity of the actor's flames no help against a foe he couldn't even touch. Perhaps the only one actually landing any hits at the moment was Ravi, the tall, dark-skinned man that was built like a tank sending disc after disc in the Chi Eater's direction, fully aware he wasn't harming it, but drawing its attention with each strike aimed at its head long enough to let his allies escape from one of its attacks unharmed, the dark spirit relying upon its innate physical strength more than anything for the time being, attacking with whips of its tail and swings of its arms with the occasional sonic screech.

This time, Ravi was providing cover for Bolin, who was currently trying to make his way around the softly glowing entity to blindside it with his Lavabending, having grown painfully aware that his standard Earthbending wasn't going to work. His plan now was to attack it from behind with two Pro Bending discs he would be manually liquefying to a magmatic state, hoping he might be able to do some tangible damage to the thing with his bending sub skill but keenly aware he'd never be able to touch it if it saw what he was doing or otherwise became aware of what he was capable of. So while Ravi and Ryuuki ran point on distraction with Airbending assistance from Tenzin and Ryu (who'd also joined in the fray pissed off that this thing had ruined his mover), he would sneak up from behind it and lop off its rather troublesome tail with one Lava Disc and then lodge the second in its back.

Unfortunately, the creature appeared to be fully cognizant of everyone and everything around it, tracking them not by what it could see but rather what it could sense, using the chi they utilized in their bending against them to pinpoint their locations and keeping tabs on Bolin's movements regardless of whether or not it could actually see him run up from behind it, lashing out with its tail and catching him in its grip before he could call upon the discs he was looking to transform. Swinging the young Earthbender high into the air, as it twitched its tail to slam him rather painfully into the ground, the Chi Eater froze, sensing a phenomenally powerful rush of energy coming from its right, turning its head in the direction it'd sent the Avatar flying a few moments earlier, growling. Back up already, was she?

The Chi Eater uncoiled its tail, letting Bolin fall helplessly to the ground (his landing being cushioned by a pillow of air generated by Ryu) while Tenzin, Ravi and Ryuuki prepared to attack the creature in unison while it was distracted by Korra's activation of the Avatar State. However, as they raised their arms to bend at it, it leisurely swung out its left arm as it turned around to face the approaching Avatar head on, its swing accompanied by a wide and powerful shock wave that swept all three benders off their feet and sent them flying backwards several yards, their formidable foe looking on in curiosity as Korra rose to about its level off the side of the Pro Bending Ring, supported by a violently rotating column of water which encircled her feet and lower body.

She had brought with her two more pillars of violently circulating water, one to her right and one to her left, drills which she could whip around like giant tentacles which she was able to conjure and command with the assistance of Raava and the Avatar State. The Chi Eater growled. So this was the Avatar, after all. What an unassuming form Raava had reincarnated into this time. It was aware of who she was before with how it had studied her and the feeling of her chi, but with as easily as it had previously disposed of her, it appeared somewhat surprised by her tenacity. Screeching in defiance, Korra yelled right back at the thing in turn, sending the two pillars she intended to use as weapons at the creature simultaneously. The Chi Eater met them head-on, fully expecting a challenge now that the Avatar had finally come out to play.

The first column met resistance from the Chi Eater's left arm, meeting it as it was set to collide with its body, the violently circulating water effectively making the column a drill which began tearing away at its already dripping flesh at an alarming rate. Then came the second pillar, catching it from the other direction and drilling directly into its side, pushing it and its arm even further into the drill that was intent on piercing through its left limb, but it showed no fear, accepting each blow as if to taunt her again, as if to say "This won't work on me" as it desolidified and collapsed into a puddle into the ground, much to Korra's surprise.

"What!?" She yelped, the other fighters similarly surprised, her summoned watery weapons colliding into one another and canceling each other out, the girl suspending her bending and allowing them to fall to the ground into shallow pools of water on the surface of the ring, naturally collecting into and around slots built into the thing for Pro Bending Waterbenders. The Chi Eater than reassembled itself, almost looking as though it was amused, unhinging its jaw and aiming directly for Korra, a bright blue glow beginning to emanate from its belly, throat and mouth as she shifted out of the Avatar state.

Korra knew this feeling. She knew what was coming. She was just surprised this thing was actually capable of doing it. Perhaps having all that chi and all those souls trapped inside of it gave it more power after all, an endless well of it to call upon whenever things got sticky? Whatever the case, this was bad. Very, _very_ bad. As energy was shaped and pooled in the Chi Eater's core, its body distorted, inflating and popping in places as though it was barely able to contain all of the power it was building up, the glow from its core getting brighter and brighter as it tracked Korra's evasive maneuvers, building spiritual energy to critical levels. Then, finally, it attacked.

She'd just barely managed to move out of the way when a blindingly bright blue beam of pure spiritual energy was discharged from the Chi Eater's form, a powerful laser on par with anything Vaatu or Kuvira's Spirit Cannon had ever dished out blasting through the side of the Pro Bending Arena, punching through it like it was cardboard, Korra landing back on the side of the ring and to the creature's left as its attack came to an end. It slowly turned to face her, Ravi, Ryuuki and Tenzin, the four of them tired, panting and terrified. This thing was even more powerful than they thought, and it _still _seemed like it was just toying with them.

"Iiya, this isn't looking good for us..." Ryuuki groaned, stumbling backwards a couple of steps after seeing what it just did to the VIP balcony. How could one spirit be this much of a pain in the ass? To call the situation dire would be understating it. They desperately needed more benders, though he was quickly beginning to wonder if any number of them would be able to help or if this was just completely hopeless.

"Korra, please tell me you and Raava came up with a plan..." Tenzin begged, stepping back a bit and keeping his arms up and eyes trained on the Chi Eater as it slowly turned to face them again and walked in their direction.

"When I first came face-to-face with it, it contacted my spirit. Or rather, the spirits of those trapped inside of it did. This thing is drawing on the power of the chi and souls of those it's killed, human and spirit, to fuel its attacks and empower itself for some reason. The souls it has inside of it want out, though, which I think I can use to my advantage. If we can pin this thing down for a long enough, I _might_ be able to bend those souls and the extra energy out of this thing with Unalaq's technique and purify it." She quickly explained. That was easier said than done. This thing wasn't being fazed by anything they'd done to it thus far, pinning it down didn't exactly seem to be something that was currently feasible. But she had an idea. She just needed an opening. And with another bolt of lightning suddenly colliding with the imposing black beast's back, it looked as though she may have had it.

"Sorry to keep you guys waiting, Raiko and the others are safe now!" Mako shouted as he and Lin swooped in on one of her metal cables, the two of them coming face to face with a genuinely surprised Chi Eater as it turned to look in their direction, growling menacingly as the smoldering crater that'd been left in its back by Mako's Lightningbending gradually began to repair itself. It hadn't noticed their presences beforehand? It seemed to have everybody pinpointed back before Korra showed up, but now it seemed to be struggling to keep up. Was it because it was distracted with taunting and intimidating Korra and the others, or did it have something to do with that energy beam it'd just fired off?

"_Spirits_, that is one _ugly_ mother..." Lin remarked, staggering back a bit as she got a closer look at the illusive Chi Eater that'd been terrorizing her city. Now that she and Mako had relocated Raiko, Buttercup, Varrick and Zhu Li somewhere safe, and her family, the Airbender kids and Asami had taken charge of managing the evacuation back onto the mainland, the two of them were free to join in the fight, Ryu and Bolin coming up from behind them to lend their support as the Chi Eater adjusted itself to the new arrivals. It was now clearly outnumbered 8 to 1, but whether or not outnumbered also meant overpowered remained to be seen – and with what Korra had seen, she was leaning toward "not". But it was now up against 3 Earthbenders, 2 Firebenders, 2 Airbenders and the Avatar. If nothing else, they should at least be able to challenge it.

"Now this... is fun..." Came the voice, labored and guttural, emanating from the Chi Eater itself. It spoke as though it had almost forgotten how and was struggling to find the words to express what it was feeling, a feeling it most closely approximated to joy. "Long time... since this many benders... let alone Avatar..." It expressed, its speech fragmented and inexperienced. It'd faced the Avatar before? "You all... die... become part of Us..." Korra grit her teeth. So this thing could talk after all, huh?

"Why are you doing this?" Korra asked, stepping forward defiantly, demanding an answer. "Why are you attacking humans and spirits? Why are you killing them? Why are you absorbing their energy into yourself?" The Chi Eater laughed, or at least, let out the closest thing to a laugh that it could muster, refusing to look back in Korra's direction as it answered.

"Need not know... only die..." Its intentions made clear, the Chi Eater's form began to shift slightly as the hole in its back completely closed up, spiky protrusions springing out of its back down where its spine would be if it had a skeleton, its spindly limbs bulking up around the calves and forearms while its tail extended slightly, growing somewhat thicker along with the rest of its body. From within its inky black translucent form, bits and blotches of blue and aqua appeared scattered, albeit only on its main body and primarily centered around its underbelly, a second row of "teeth" growing in as it attempted to make itself look even more intimidating than it already was. Clearly, this thing wasn't particularly keen on giving answers, and reasoning with it would be impossible. All Korra and the others could do now was fight and pray that Unalaq's Spiritbending technique would purify this thing.

"Keep putting pressure on it, we have to try and pin it down!" Korra shouted, announcing her plan to those gathered, the Chi Eater grinning. So they were going to try and pin it down, were they? They'd like to see it try. The 7 other humans nodding along, the second round of their battle began, Ravi looking over at the damage the Chi Eater had caused to the Arena and then over to Lin, an idea suddenly striking him.

"Chief Beifong, you're a pretty strong Earthbender, right?" Ravi asked. Lin almost looked offended by his question. Pretty strong? She was the daughter of The Most Powerful Earthbender in the World – she was a force to be reckoned with. Ravi smirked. "Seems we've got ourselves a nasty little bug here. Think you can help me step on it?" He asked, motioning with his head over to the area of the Arena the Chi Eater had blasted a hole in with its energy attack, Lin immediately catching wise to what he was insinuating, giving Ravi a knowing smirk.

"I like the way you think. Should be doable." She replied. The two of them were well aware that the Pro Bending Discs would have no effect on this thing and that they'd need something more substantial to pin it down, so they figured they'd just get a little head start on the Arena's impending remodeling, rip out the piece of the stadium it'd already ruined and drop it on the thing – balconies, seats and all. It certainly wouldn't be easy with just the two of them, but if the others could keep the Chi Eater sufficiently distracted and responding to other attacks, then they just might be able to stamp it out, at least long enough for it to get caught up in Korra's Spiritbending while it struggled to reform.

The two nodded, Lin running over to Ravi and grabbing hold of him, catching Korra, Tenzin and the others' attention. Were they planning something? As Lin sent her metal cables into the ceiling across the gap, the Chi Eater stirred, glancing over in their direction as the two of them fanned out, getting to opposite sides of the section of the Arena the unstable spirit had ruined. What were they planning? Though Tenzin and the others had about as much of a clue as the Chi Eater, they weren't about to give it a chance to figure it out, silently agreeing to keep it busy while the two Earthbenders across from them did whatever it was they were about to do, Tenzin and Ryu sending multiple blasts of condensed air at the spirit's sides, only serving to frustrate it as it glared at them, dents forming and then disappearing in its flesh.

"Air... weak..." The Chi Eater retorted as it was shoved slightly off to the side, swatting at Ryu and Tenzin with its arm as they zipped around it, hitting it with Airbending blast after Airbending blast. At the same time, Korra, Mako and Ryuuki began Firebending together in unison, sure to keep the pressure on the Chi Eater while Lin and Ravi focused on moving the large piece of the stadium they'd just dislodged, aiming to levitate it over top the rogue spirit and then let it fall, crushing it like a bug. Korra almost couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the stadium piece across from her begin to move, those two were inhuman. She, Mako and Ryuuki seemed to share the same thought, silently agreeing with one another and resolving to keep the Chi Eater distracted and focused on _their_ bending while Lin and Ravi did their thing.

Combined with Ryu and Tenzin's steady barrage of Airbending blasts from multiple angles as they continued to zoom around it on pockets of air, pelting its flesh like flies with machine guns, the subsequent barrage of fire blasts coming from the three Firebenders assembled in front of it was really starting to put the hurt on the amorphous anomaly, the Chi Eater letting out a screech of pain. They were starting to hurt it. Fire blast after fire blast after fire blast combined with air blasts mixed in along the way continued to pelt its "flesh", the Chi Eater seeming to withdraw into itself slightly as it suffered under the steady barrage.

Then they stopped, trading out repeated blasts of fire for steady streams instead, intending to keep it pinned down and coiled into itself as Lin and Ravi's trump card inched ever closer, the two of them visibly straining with all their might to move what they were moving. While the Chi Eater suffered and retreated under their flames, however, Korra couldn't help but be amazed by Ryuuki's, which she'd finally had a chance to see up close amidst all the chaos, its color catching her eye. She'd never seen _that_ before.

"Blue...?" She asked, surprised by not only the sky blue hue of the actor's Firebending flames, but by the explosiveness of each blast he'd fired before and the intense heat that radiated from them. Even from a good 10 feet away with Mako between her and him, the heat Korra could feel off those flames alone was as intense at 10 feet as a normal Firebender's were from 10 inches.

"It's rare, but it happens. They're hotter and more explosive than normal flames, but quickly lose their intensity and return to normal once a bender stops bending them. I've never actually seen a Firebender with blue flames before, but it's said that Lord Zuko's sister, Azula, had the ability." Mako explained to the Avatar, who shot the mover event's organizer an odd look. It had to have been a rare ability if she'd never seen it before. He seemed humble enough, but with power like this, she had to wonder, just who _was_ this guy?

"The hair and eyes make sense now, eh?" Ryuuki smirked. His hair was clearly dyed, but were his eyes fake, too? Contacts, maybe? She'd heard about them before, but they were still pretty rare, especially colored ones. The perks of having money, perhaps? "We can chat about the fire color spectrum later though, I think we just pissed this thing off!" Ryuuki warned, the Chi Eater finally swatting away the dome of fire that'd been licking its flesh up until now, the three Firebenders bracing themselves for impact as a distorted wall of air – another shock wave – rushed straight for them, colliding with their arms and chests and knocking them off their feet. However, even if they were down, their assault wasn't going to be ending there as Bolin appeared from behind them, ready and willing to pick up the slack.

"On it!" Bolin called, the Chi Eater again being caught off guard by a bender's arrival as he leaped out from behind Korra, Mako and Ryuuki with two Lavabent Pro Bending discs in tow, swinging them down like two rapidly spinning buzz saws aimed for the Chi Eater's currently extended left arm and still writhing tail. Now _that_ caught it by surprise – it certainly didn't expect to run into a Lavabender all the way out here, let alone for that kid in particular to be one. How rare... it really should've paid more attention to his chi. Ravi and Ryuuki also seemed impressed, Ryuuki more than Ravi given that he was still busy moving that large chunk of the arena with Lin that the Chi Eater was too busy to do anything about.

"Bolin's a Lavabender? And you thought blue fire was rare." Ryuuki remarked as he, Mako and Korra rose back to their feet. "That kid's just full of surprises..." He thought aloud.

Screaming out in pain as one of Bolin's discs lodged itself in its arm and the other lopped its tail clean off, severing it from its base, it arched its body back and quickly lunged forward like it had with Korra earlier on, letting out another scream intent on obliterating Bolin's bones, a shock wave more powerful than any before aimed for the currently still airborne Lavabender's fragile human frame. "WOAH CRAP!" Bolin cursed, closing his eyes and raising his arms in front of him in an X shape, bracing for impact, when a sudden burst of air from his right sent him flying out of the way of the Chi Eater's attack and sliding across the Pro Bending Arena longwise, instead. It was a bit of a rough landing, but it was better than having every single bone in his body instantaneously shattered like glass. "Ugh, thanks Ryu..." He groaned as he stood back up.

"Whatever, don't let up!" The unkempt Airbender replied, understandably pumped up given the circumstances. The Lavabender simply nodded, quickly calling out two more Pro Bending discs and super heating them with his bending sub skill, violently rotating them like buzz saws in the air around him as he prepared for round two. Seemed that his element really piled on the hurt with this thing. _Perfect_.

"Annoying... bugs..." The Chi Eater spat, beginning to grow frustrated. They were persistent, it'd give them that much. As Bolin came at it from its right and Tenzin began piling Airbending blasts into its left side, leaving quickly healing dents in its malleable flesh, Mako and Ryuuki both bent lightning bolts at it while Korra pulled up another watery drill, this one smaller and more spindly than her Avatar State enhanced ones from before, but damaging nonetheless should it make impact. At the same time, Lin and Ravi now had their weapon of choice levitated directly over the Chi Eater's head, releasing their hold and finally letting it fall. With attacks from all four elements coming at it from every conceivable direction, the group of 8 was hoping to have finally managed to pin the damn thing down. There was no way out of this that it wouldn't be taking damage.

"Weak..." Allowing the Lightning, Water and Lava to impact its body, to the Chi Eater, the more pressing matter by far was the large chunk of granite, metal and concrete about ready to crush it like a bug, an ironic turn of events given its previous taunt. It wouldn't be able to fire off a second energy blast for another minute or so, meaning it had no way to dispose of that just yet; its shock waves wouldn't be enough. Instead, it would just have to move out of the way – which was precisely what Korra was counting on. When the Chi Eater began to blur and attempted to dart to its left, it let out a surprised grunt as it found itself unable, its limbs having been frozen to the ground.

Korra smirked.

Her earlier Waterbending attack may not have been successful in the short term, but it proved to be useful in the long term, pooling water in and around the slots located all over the Pro Bending ring which her most recent Waterbending "attack" – which she'd already let fall harmlessly to the ground – only added to. It was something that the Chi Eater hadn't anticipated, something it'd been distracted from by the continuous assault of the 7 benders and the impending collision of the stadium piece the two Earthbenders were moving. It was wondering how they were expecting to keep it still long enough to catch it with that. It had to give the Avatar her due – she was crafty.

The blurring of its form stopped almost as soon as it began, the ice which was still crawling up its limbs formed quick enough to catch it off guard and made _just_ dense enough to prevent it from breaking away on its first try, delaying its ability to react to the 'boot' that was about to crush it by just a couple of seconds. But, that was all that was required. Its only opportunity to move out of the way squandered, the Chi Eater hissed. It knew what was coming next, bracing itself for impact and ready to change its physical properties as necessary. Collision was inevitable.

As the dislodged section of stadium seats and balcony pieces came crashing down on top of it, the entire island shook, Lin and Ravi panting heavily, drenched in sweat and feeling as though they were about to drop. That was the last time either of them were going to attempt to move something so large with only two people at their disposal, it was honestly a miracle that they managed to do it at all. It wasn't over yet, however, and they knew it. This was a spirit, that wasn't going to kill it, that'd barely even faze it. But at the very least, they hoped it would keep it down long enough for Korra to rip the energy it'd stolen to empower itself out of it and take it down once and for all.

"Everybody stay on guard, that's not going to kill it!" Korra warned, reiterating the continued danger of the scenario to those who were gathered in case they thought they were getting off easy. Running up to get closer to the impact site, Korra Airbent the chalky grey dust out of the way in order to get a better look at the situation. As she thought, the Chi Eater was already starting to reform, an inky black goo with an azure glow beginning to ooze its way through the cracks and spaces in and between the debris. She had no time to lose. Pulling up water from the slots in the ring and the "drink" below, Korra officially began the spiritual purification ritual, a high-pitched, glass-like hum resonating through the air as water swirled around the rubble in a double helix formation.

A golden yellow glow ran along the streams as their tips met above the Chi Eater's tomb and she shifted into the Avatar State for the second time, requesting Raava's assistance in what she was about to attempt next. Given the nature of the abilities of the enemy she was currently faced with, she had a feeling she was going to need it. But she was determined. No matter what it took, Korra was going to try and save the spirits it had eaten and reverse the Chi Eater's especially severe case of spiritual corruption, however it was that it came about. She could worry about the how and the why later – first things first, she had to make sure that this thing wouldn't and couldn't kill anybody else ever again.

"Gigigigigigigigigi..." The Chi Eater clicked as it slowly began to reform, caught in Korra's technique. It could feel its energy shift slightly in response to her power, just as she in turn could feel what Raava meant by how its energy seemed to be somehow contorted and unstable, the pain in her head making more sense as she finally had the opportunity to calm down and focus in on the spirit's energy. It was like a knot had been formed from the power of the spirits and the humans it had feasted on, one that was making it especially difficult for her Spiritbending to manipulate the positive and negative balance of the core entity responsible for all of this mess, and one she was trying her damn hardest to unravel. It had effectively cocooned itself within the chi and life energies of others, simultaneously shielding its own while also giving it a vast ocean of power to call upon at will.

After some persistence, however, she had done it, latching on to the energy of the Chi Eater itself and trying her hardest to force it into a more docile state, one she could more realistically approach and extract the consumed energy from. While any humans it may have killed would remain dead and gone, Korra believed there was a chance that, freed from their chi eating prison, devoured spirits _might_ be able to resurrect themselves were their energy to be extracted. If that was true, then she might be able to start undoing some of the damage it had done over these past 1200 years and somewhat rectify the oversight of her collective past lives. She might even be able to get some information out of them as to what the Chi Eater was and how it came to be so that she could make sure that nothing like it was ever born again.

...However, it appeared that things weren't going to be so simple. By this point in time, the Chi Eater should have stopped moving completely, either at war with Korra's influence or completely under her control, but it defiantly continued to ooze up from the debris and collect into a mound, ready to rebuild itself, almost as though she was having no effect. This thing was _incredibly_ strong willed and actually seemed to be bending its own energy back to the way it was faster than she could heal it. It was _exactly_ what Korra was afraid of. At this point, she was beginning to wonder if Unalaq's Spiritbending technique alone was going to be enough.

Spiritbending was, _technically speaking_, a form of Energybending, one performed through Waterbending by those who could use their bending to heal others. It relied on Waterbending's natural healing properties to allow its user to tap into the internal energy of a spirit and manipulate it with their chi, either to heal it and restore its balance by channeling positive energy, like Korra did, or to harm it and send it into imbalance by channeling negative energy, like Unalaq did. Unlike true Energybending, however, which involved the wills and spirits of those involved, Spiritbending was a passive technique which simply promoted the flow positive or negative energy via healing, having little to no force behind it.

Against most spirits, this would be perfectly fine and they'd have no real counter for it. When used against a spirit that itself knew how to Energybend, however, and by the very nature of its name and reputation could freely add to and manipulate the chi within itself... it was exactly what she was afraid of before she started and exactly why she needed Raava's support. A simple, relatively speaking, healing technique just wasn't going to cut it – Korra was going to have to make use of straight up Energybending, too, and force this thing to change whether it wanted to or not. It could resist a passive influence just fine, but with any luck, an active influence would prove more troublesome.

While her experiences in dealing with Kuvira and the Spirit Vines had shown her that she could bend energy like she could the elements, normally, when bending the energy of somebody else, she would have no choice but to make physical contact with them and bend their spirit with her own. But this was a special case. Because her opponent was a spirit and had no physical form to speak of, it was easier to hone in on and bend its energy as she pleased. She didn't have to account for flesh and bend energy through pathways to affect a change – the Chi Eater was in and of itself energy, meaning that she could bend it like she could any other energy, thus boosting the effectiveness of her Spiritbending by reinforcing it with manual, brute force manipulation as well, adding her spirit and her will into the equation.

The only problem was that the Chi Eater was a mass of energy with a will of its own and would not yield to her command so easily. Furthermore, it could Energybend, too, and its spirit was undoubtedly _very_ strong, meaning that while it _would_ increase the effectiveness of what she was trying to do, it would also put Korra at tremendous risk. Even if she bent it from afar, hers and Raava's spirits and the spirit of the Chi Eater would be connected the moment she tried to directly influence its energy with her own, opening her up to being corrupted, killed, or worse. It was as risky as it was theoretical and required more focus on her part than anything she'd ever attempted before, as she'd be performing two bending arts simultaneously with her Waterbending as their medium, Spiritbending and Energybending, with the latter being resisted every step of the way by the Chi Eater's own spin on the technique.

If this was coming down to a straight-up Energybending duel, then from what she'd gleamed from her brief time with Avatar Aang's imprint, it ultimately came down to a battle of spirits, and more than that, wills. The one whose spirit was the purest and will the strongest would overtake the other, their energy yielding to the stronger one's command. Clearly, the Chi Eater's spirit was beyond powerful, otherwise it wouldn't have been able to kill all the people that it had these past 1200 years, and under ordinary circumstances, attempting to do what Korra was would probably be tantamount to suicide. However, Korra had one thing that set her apart from anybody else the Chi Eater had dueled and destroyed – she had more than one spirit.

It may have been able to fight back against Korra's spirit alone, but surely hers and Raava's spirits combined would be enough to overpower it, right? Were Korra alone here, she feared what she was attempting to do may be completely impossible, but she wasn't, and while technically the Chi Eater wasn't alone either, from what Korra had gathered, none of the spirits it had eaten were particularly keen on aiding it, assuming they were even intact enough to do anything in the first place. Nevertheless, something about the Chi Eater made her wonder. To her, she somehow got the vibe that its actions seemed almost... desperate. Like it _had_ to do what it was doing, or else something bad would happen to it. And that worried her. Because if it was waging a war of desperation, then there was no telling how powerful its will to live would be, even paired up against her will to save her city and her friends and Raava's will to maintain balance.

"Come on..." Korra groaned in frustration, initiating the arduous process of her dual Energybending technique as the 7 other Benders around her simply looked on in silence, ready to attack again if need be, hoping Korra would be successful and this thing would get a major power reduction. Iit didn't take a spiritual guru to see that she was struggling, however, which didn't exactly put them at ease. This thing was strong, really strong. Relying on Raava to lighten the load, Korra drowned out everyone and everything else, focusing 100% on the spirit in front of her and her attempts to bend its energy, sensing its surprise at her intrusion. Now that she had connected with it, the war was on. Not only was she fighting its attempts to corrupt and consume her energy as it was hers, she was also being imparted with vague glimpses of what it was thinking and feeling and knowledge that it had.

"Give up already, would you?" Ryuuki called, looking especially frustrated. "Don't make us beat your ass down again!" He begged the still reforming Chi Eater, hoping to avoid another physical fight with the thing. Bolin gulped, looking to be the most worried of the 7 as Korra continued to silently bend the healing water around the dark spirit, beads of sweat rolling down her face. She wasn't going to let up. She couldn't. Pulling up yet more water in hopes of boosting the speed and potency of the passive effects of Spiritbending while she actively continued to engage it via Energybending, Korra and Raava's focus intensified tenfold, the Chi Eater _finally_ beginning to show signs of weakness, its reformation slowing to a crawl as the azure glow began to dim and fade and its dark, black flesh turned yellow.

Korra grinned. It was working.

"Gigigigigigigigigi..." The Chi Eater continued as it oozed from the cracks slower and slower and slower still until the oozing had stopped completely, what had collected sustained in an impossible state, looking as though time within Korra's technique had come to a standstill as it continued to make that incessant clicking noise, the only sign of resistance anyone there could still make out. Korra's grin grew more confident. She could feel its rage relenting, she could feel its positive energy increasing, she could– "GIHIHIHIHIHIHIHI..." The clicking grew louder and more distinct, more vocalized. Was it... laughing? "GIHIHIHIHAHAHIAIHHHAIHAIHI..." Korra's grin immediately faded. This was impossible... where did all this new strength come from!?

"_Korra, look out!"_ Raava roared from within Korra's consciousness, grabbing the girl's attention as things took an immediate turn for the worse, her progress fading as the golden glow reversed, black and blue overtaking it as a wave of negative energy exploded from the Chi Eater's previously reassembling form, a dome of what looked to be black electricity stretching out and overtaking Korra's Spiritbending technique, literally shattering it before fading from sight. Doing so canceled not only the passive influence of her Spiritbending but the active influence of her Energybending as well, the medium through which she was performing both destroyed and sparing her spirit from consumption, but at the same time freeing the Chi Eater from any and all hindrances Korra could throw at it.

Not even a few seconds later, while Korra was still reeling from the sudden cancellation of her bending that had also knocked her out of the Avatar State, she screamed, flung backwards across the ring by an invisible force followed shortly thereafter by everyone else. Not only had some part of it actively resisted her technique and bent its own energy back regardless of the Spirit/Energybending combo, it'd just as quickly released _more_ shock waves from oily black tendrils it had erupted from the rubble, skewering the debris and then retreating back below.

"Weak... humans are... Avatar are..." It remarked, Korra rubbing her head and rising back onto her feet. It didn't work. Why didn't it work? She had it, she was SURE she had it, and Raava was too. She could feel the light spirit's lingering confidence deep within her. So why did it fail? It was almost as though a second will, one that was buried deep inside of it, had suddenly bubbled to the surface and intervened to bend the Chi Eater's energy back in its stead, shattering Korra's technique in the process. Was she wrong before? Were all of the spirits inside of that thing not only intact, but malevolent? If that was the case, then why would they reach out to her for help? Was it possible that the core Chi Eater was always two or more spirits to begin with?

Or maybe... that second spirit that she felt, that second consciousness buried somewhere deep within the Chi Eater's own... she thought before that whatever this thing was, it almost looked sick. Could that actually be the case? Could it be infected with something? Could it be infected with somebody else's energy? Was that even possible? If it was, then it would explain everything. Its unusual, human like behavior, its desire for death and destruction, its overall instability... had somebody taken this spirit and somehow injected their own energy into it to drive it mad and control it 1200 years ago? Was that why it was acting the way it was? But then who would do that, and why? Energybending was supposed to have been an extinct art even a thousand years ago, who would have even had that kind of power?

Though the answers may have escaped her, one thing _had_ become exceedingly clear. If things kept up like this, she wouldn't be able to save it. She would have no other choice but to kill this spirit and any other spirits that may have been trapped inside of it. As she became steady on her feet once more, Korra narrowed her eyes. The Chi Eater appeared to be attempting to monologue. That was _never_ a good sign.

"Clever... they try... fail..." It continued, a dark puddle suddenly appearing beneath Korra's feet, her eyes immediately widening as she felt a disgustingly evil presence begin surrounding her. When did it...!? "And... die..." Before she could move away, the puddle sprang up around her, trapping her in a dome of darkness that quickly began to fill with light, a terrified look screaming across her face as countless azure eyes opened up along the inky black dome's surface, glowing and gathering energy just like the Chi Eater had when it fired that laser the first time. It suddenly hit her what it was about to do. It was going to attack Korra from all sides and completely annihilate her.

She knew that ordinary bending wasn't going to get her out of here. They'd been hammering away at this thing's "flesh" since it appeared to no effect and she could feel her friends already trying to penetrate it from the outside with attacks of their own, but the spirit was just way too durable and it was channeling its energy way too quickly. There was only one other thing she could think to do, one other way she might be able to get herself out of this and – if she was lucky – take the Chi Eater out in the process. She just hoped it'd work a second time. "Raava, help me..." She whispered, feeling the light spirit stir inside her once again.

"Goodbye."

Everything went deafeningly silent for Korra as the next instant seemed to drag out for an eternity, the countless eyes opened up around her releasing beams of energy from every direction, beams which had slowed to a crawl as Korra's eyes flashed white. She had jumped back back into the Avatar State for a third time in hopes that she would be able to repeat the miracle from the end of her battle with Kuvira and bend this energy around her an instant before it killed her. When the lasers should've continued going straight, instead, they turned and they swirled, a bright blue sphere of violently rotating spiritual energy forming around Korra and growing exponentially in size as the continuous beams fed into it, filling in the gap between Korra and the Chi Eater's shapeshifted "flesh". It was something the Chi Eater wasn't prepared for – not even in the slightest.

"Energy... bender... too strong... not know..." From outside the Chi Eater's trap, the glowing black dome that had ensnared Korra seemed to swell larger and larger as the energy it was trying to obliterate Korra with built more and more, a chain reaction having begun that the dark spirit in question was incapable of putting an end to. The 5 benders remaining in the Pro Bending Arena outside quickly turned and ran away, fearing it was about to explode, the Chi Eater beginning to fear the same. This wasn't good. It was lucky that pieces of it remained buried beneath that rubble, pieces which it was now preparing to have pierce the surface and run away from here before this battle dragged out any longer. It had miscalculated and underestimated what the Avatar was truly capable of.

"ENOUGH!" Korra screamed, finally forcing the energy that she'd collected around her back out and into the Chi Eater itself, ripping the dome it had created from its flesh to pieces in an explosion of spiritual energy like nobody had seen since Kuvira's attack 2 months prior. The Chi Eater screamed in agony as it was blasted apart from the inside out by one of its own attacks, nothing of what had collected around Korra remaining as the energy vaporized all of its traces and then gradually dissipated into the air, Korra – with Raava's assistance – diffusing it like a Firebender would their flames as to avoid causing too much damage to the surrounding area until it looked as though a thousand bright blue fireflies had invaded the Arena's battlefield.

The last thing Korra wanted was to catch her friends in the attack, or to end up opening yet _another_ Spirit Portal in the middle of Republic City. Neither of those potentialities seemed particularly desirable from her perspective. The diffused energy that once belonged to the Chi Eater then drifted silently down like snowflakes, fading away before they ever reached the ground. Korra inhaled and then exhaled deeply, closing and then opening her eyes, exiting the Avatar State and falling to her hands and knees almost immediately afterward. That one definitely took a lot out of her.

"...Is it over?" Bolin asked, peering out from behind a large slab of stone he had bent out of the pile that'd entombed the Chi Eater, having erected it in front of Mako, Tenzin, Ryu, Ryuuki and himself in hopes it might protect them from the previously imminent explosion. The threat effectively neutralized, the five of them emerged from hiding while Lin and Ravi came out from behind the pillars they'd taken shelter behind. Bolin was impressed – Korra was getting better and better with this whole Energybending thing. Last time she tried to bend an attack like that, she punched a hole through the fabric of reality and opened up another Spirit Portal.

Then again, even with all of the spirits and the people it had eaten, maybe the Chi Eater just wasn't as powerful as the entirety of Republic City's Spirit Wilds and it never would've had the power to do that in the first place. Either way though, she'd taken control of the explosion and saved everybody's lives. That was reason enough to be proud and celebrate. While he awaited Korra's answer (who was currently trying to figure out for herself whether or not she'd won), Mako seemed concerned. She looked exhausted.

"...Yeah. I think it's o–" Before Korra could finish her reassurance, a familiar spiritual presence caught her attention, the debris in front of her exploding apart, a black blur streaking through the Arena and heading out through the hole it had created (and Lin and Ravi had expanded) earlier on. It was still alive!? "Shit! Don't let it escape!" Korra shouted, rising back onto her feet to chase after it only to stumble and fall almost immediately after, Mako catching her from under her right arm before she could hit the ground. She looked up at the Firebending detective, relieved but confused. When did he get over here?

"Like I said, I've got your back." He affirmed. Korra smiled. "Are you alright?" He asked. A loaded question. He knew full well that she wasn't and that she was stubbornly going to deny that, but somebody had to ask it. While Lin, Ravi, Ryu, Tenzin and Ryuuki ran off to chase the Chi Eater outside and keep it busy until Korra inevitably arrived, Mako refused to leave the girl's side, helping to keep her standing while she dealt with a bout of lightheaded exhaustion. Bolin also stayed behind, looking to be even more visibly concerned than his brother was, cautiously approaching the two of them in an attempt to check up on his and his brother's mutual friend.

"Yeah, sorry, I'm just a little dizzy is all." Korra explained away sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. A blatant (half) lie, and everybody there knew it. She really was dizzy, but it was more than that. Shifting into the Avatar state 3 times in less than 10 minutes and bending on such a high level would exhaust just about anybody. But all three of them knew that there was no other choice but to press onward – the Chi Eater could be neither saved nor destroyed without the Avatar. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. We're not going to get a chance like this again. Stopping the Chi Eater is our top priority." Korra continued with confidence. Bolin and Mako shared a look.

"Are you sure? You kind of just exploded a spirit. Or, part of one, anyway. I dunno, that seems like it would take a lot out of someone." Bolin replied. The least she could do was take a minute to catch her breath. But Korra shook her head. There was no time to sit around – the Chi Eater was hurt and scared and was going to bolt unless somebody got in its way. Those 5 weren't going to be enough. They did seem to be slowing it down regardless though, as she could still sense its sickening presence nearby and she could hear the sounds of bending coming from outside. She had to get out there before it was too late.

"I said I'm fine." She stubbornly reiterated. She didn't care if she had to push past every physical limitation her body may have had, she wasn't going to let this thing get away from here. There was too much on the line. Still, to think that it'd kept a part of itself hidden away beneath that rubble, just in case something went wrong... it was as crafty as she'd come to expect, still somehow managing to hit her with the unexpected. She should've known straight away that a single redirected attack wouldn't be enough to kill it, it'd proven itself to be much too cautious and forward thinking in the past to battle another Energybender without expecting some sort of resistance. Still, its surprise when she suspended its attack appeared to be genuine. It'd underestimated her. She got the feeling she wouldn't be so lucky again.

The dizziness subsiding, Korra removed her arm from around her ex-boyfriend's shoulder, now capable of standing on her own two feet again without assistance. All this going in and out of the Avatar State was going to kill her, but she figured she had a few rounds left in her tank, looking from the brothers over to the hole out of which the Chi Eater had escaped.

"Let's go. It's time to finish this." She said, more determined now than ever. By her estimation, there were two ways the second round of the Chi Eater battle could go. The first would be the merciful route, wherein she had managed to deal a devastating blow by wiping out a good portion of its form and whatever remained of it was thus weaker as a result. The second would be the more likely route, wherein it reacted like a wounded beast and was now even more powerful and dangerous than before, terrified for its life. But it wasn't the only wounded beast around here. This thing was going to be in for the fight of its life. Mako and Bolin nodded. They knew they had no choice but to finish this. Korra had said it herself, they'd never get another chance like this again – not for another 25 years.

While Korra and Mako may have been able to propel themselves across the gap between the Pro Bending Ring and the rest of the Arena, the lack of any manipulable stone or earthy materials beneath his feet combined with the fact that the Ring was situated _lower_ than the rest of the Arena meant Bolin would require some assistance, Korra grabbing hold of the Lavabender and taking him with her as she leapt the distance with her Airbending alone, Mako propelling himself across the gap with his Firebending. Flight was not a Firebending technique he was terribly proficient in – Ryuuki _far_ outclassed him from what Bolin had seen – but he could manage a few well-timed fire blasts with force enough to carry him over.

Outside of the Arena walls, the battle had expanded far beyond Korra's imagination. As she'd feared, the second route was the more likely scenario and what was currently taking place, the Chi Eater having increased its size even further and generated more "mass" by converting its unfathomably vast amounts of internal chi and spiritual energy into "matter", or something close enough to it that it could retain that semi-physical gelatinous form most spirits she'd encountered in the physical world seemed to have. What's more, the 5 within the Arena were no longer the only ones fighting, the rest of the Beifong family having now joined in along with Opal, Kai and the Airbending Kids, having gotten the crowd once in the makeshift theater onto the mainland and taken a stand to prevent the Chi Eater from getting back into the city and anywhere near them.

It was now 14 on 1, and with Korra and the brothers' arrival, that number would jump to 17, but the Chi Eater continued to fight them as it had from the start, either absorbing or weaving through attacks with its otherworldly speed and malleable form, countering every trick thrown at it. From the countless Earth and Metal attacks of Ravi and the Beifongs to the barrage of Airbending blasts from Opal, Tenzin and the others, every piece of its body they tore away with their attacks it just as soon replaced, now opting to use its shape shifting properties to a greater extent and turning its body into the weapon. It rapidly fired pieces of its flesh it hardened like bullets which were blocked by Earth, Metal and Airbending barriers (simply dodged by Ryuuki) and stretched portions of itself out as long spikes in attempts to impale those who stood against it, which prompted yet more evasive maneuvers from the benders.

Nevertheless, watching everybody attack it was not unlike watching a swarm of flies encircling the face of a badgermole – they certainly had it surrounded, but they were more of a persistent nuisance than a legitimate threat. Even Ryuuki's bright blue Firebending was of little help, though it certainly seemed to be leaving more of a consistent impact than the Air and Earth attacks were due to its innate explosive power. Korra, Mako and Bolin wasted no time, running as fast as they could into the fray as the most recent series of attacks poked quickly healing holes in the Chi Eater's 15-foot-tall body.

Mako was the first to attack, immediately sending the two largest waves of fire he could manage at the spirit's head, the black beast snarling and simply spitting in his direction, a sizable bullet of distorted air rocketing toward him. As the streams of orange flame were pierced and dissipated, he knew what was coming, breaking to the right as ground where he was once standing shattered from the Chi Eater's attack, relentlessly continuing to attack it with yet more volleys of fire as he dodged to disappointingly similar results as everybody else. "Hungry..." The Chi Eater complained, its recent release of two energy based attacks in rapid succession followed by the destruction of a large part of its "body" requiring it to manually recreate itself leaving it more drained than it would've liked. So long as it had so many snacks lining up to feed it, it may as well indulge itself, starting with the particularly persistent detective attacking it now.

Again its body blurred as it barreled through the benders assembled around it like an oncoming train, sending Bolin and Korra flying backwards before they could even register that it'd moved, on top of Mako in the time it took him to blink. "You..." It chose, making it known to the detective that he was going to be the Chi Eater's next meal, Bolin springing back to his feet with unusual gusto at the potential of his brother being the next to die at this thing's hand. As it pinned Mako onto the ground with its left hand, it again unhinged its jaw, the same blue glow as before emanating from its throat, but this time extending outward like a tentacle, its tip vaguely hand shaped in nature, grabbing hold of Mako's face with disturbingly comforting warmth. Almost as soon as it'd touched him, he could feel his consciousness beginning to fade and his body grow weak. This thing acted _fast_.

"NOT _MY_ BROTHER YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Bolin yelled, calling upon all his strength to bend the ground beneath the Chi Eater's feet into a pool of Lava – one of the few things that actually seemed to have any sort of a major effect on the abomination – the sudden rush of heat and pain causing it to cease eating Mako's chi and start screaming out in agony instead, the arm of energy retreating back into the Chi Eater before it could even really get started. That settled it – the Lavabender had to go. In a clap of thunder it was already at Bolin's present location. Smashing him high into the air with an uppercut from its right elbow, it just as quickly appeared in the air to meet him once he'd reached his zenith, viciously spiking him into the ocean with its hands clasped together as to inflict maximum damage, almost assuredly breaking more than a few bones in the process.

"BOLIN!" Korra cried out, moving to go and see if he was okay before the Chi Eater was back in front of _her_ again, as well, clearly pissed off. As it raised its hand to strike her down, too, it found its arm unable to swing in her direction, two metal cables having lodged themselves deep into its flesh. Lin had intervened, digging her feet into the granite bridge that connected the man made island which housed the Pro Bending Arena to the mainland for extra leverage as she struggled to match this thing's strength, Su backing her elder sister up as she lodged cables of her own (a spool of the stuff affixed to her back) into its other arm and mimicking Lin's position, digging in her heels and holding it back with all her strength.

Meanwhile, Wei and Wing came to Bolin and Mako's aide, Wing grabbing Mako while Wei dove into the water and retrieved Bolin, the twins taking the second set of brothers ashore with them onto the mainland and out of harm's way while Huan stepped in to help his aunt and mother out, manipulating the ground beneath the Chi Eater's feet to briefly keep it from moving like Korra had with ice before, creating a momentary opening wherein their interference had caught the bastard off guard. But a moment was all that Korra needed, an Airbending attack more powerful than anything that'd struck it before ripping into its core as it screamed out in pain yet again, flung backwards by the force of one of the single strongest attacks Korra could manage. She wasn't going to let up now – none of them were.

It faced no mercy as it skid across the ground, ground which again was turned against it as its hands and feet were encased a second time – this time by Ravi – while Ryuuki and the Airbenders pelted it with attacks in an attempt to do as much damage to its form as possible in order to prolong its recovery time. Ryuuki Lightningbent directly at its head while Tenzin, Ryu, Opal and the kids maintained strong, focused streams of air from all directions, blasting sizable chunks of it away as it was forced into the ground, the earthen shackles around its hands and feet simply adding insult to injury as it was essentially sandblasted to nothing.

"Trap it, now!" Korra demanded as she ran to catch up with the briefly beaten Chi Eater, its pop marked body once again beginning to reassemble itself as Ravi released its earthen bindings so that the Airbenders could get to work, Ravi and Ryuuki both stepping back as a powerful vortex of air began to circulate around the Chi Eater, lifting it off the ground. The 7 Airbenders were going to replicate together what Wan and Korra had done single handedly with Vaatu in the past, trapping the Chi Eater in a spherical prison of air within which it would be unable to move or break free – doubly so due to its briefly weakened state – while further restricting its movements by closing in around it, compressing it as far as its body was able to be curled up.

It snarled, trying but failing to break free of its spherical prison the 7 Airbenders had caught it in, recognizing the position it was in. It would be another 45 seconds _at least _before it would be able to break free of this technique, rendering it, for the time being, completely defenseless. If the Avatar was going to kill it, now would be the time. Again, Korra's eyes began to glow, Raava's power overflowing as the Avatar relied upon her heightened state for a fourth time tonight, the blatancy of her spiritual presence catching the Chi Eater's attention. Korra knew she shouldn't even bother trying to save it anymore, she should just kill it now while she had the chance, but she couldn't. Not yet.

She still felt like she could free it of whatever had corrupted it. She still felt like it was possible to save it. Whatever that second presence she felt was, whatever had latched onto and corrupted this spirit, it wasn't going to catch her off guard a second time. Now that she had a better idea of what she was up against and what to expect once she began Unalaq's ritual, she couldn't sentence this thing to death without giving it one more go. For all she knew, this spirit was just a puppet to whoever or whatever had corrupted it all those centuries ago and was completely innocent of the crimes that had been committed with its body. She wasn't going to take it out unless she genuinely had no other choice, especially not with the added potential of previously eaten spirits being salvageable.

Collecting water from the bay and bending it around the Airbenders' cage, the same humming double helix from before brightly glowed as she once again bent the Chi Eater's energy in a last ditch attempt to save it before she delivered the final blow, a move that left those gathered confused. Lin seemed especially upset, gritting her teeth. The Airbenders had just delivered this thing to her on a silver platter. Why the hell wasn't she taking the shot?

"What are you doing!? We already tried this, it won't work!" Lin shouted, clearly frustrated. Korra grimaced, trying to maintain focus. She could do this.

"I can do this, I can save it!" Korra shouted back, re-beginning the process of bending the balance of positive and negative energies within the Chi Eater in hopes of drawing out that presence from before. Last time, she had the Chi Eater on the ropes and who or whatever that was came to its rescue. If she could just get it back to that point, then maybe... as she had before, Korra upped the ante, Spiritbending and Energybending simultaneously, allowing the Spiritbending to passively chip away at the Chi Eater's endurance by constantly promoting the flow of positive energy in the background while she actively dug in and attempted to rearrange its internal energies as she pleased, trying to force it back into balance, into peace. She could do this. She had to be able to do this.

"Avatar... Raava... fools..." It taunted, fully aware of what the techniques – and by extension, Korra – were capable of. It had by this point fully adjusted to the influence of Korra's Spirit/Energybending combo attack, defiantly resisting her once again as the war of wills between the two entered into an uneasy stalemate, the Chi Eater stubbornly resisting change while Korra stubbornly resisted surrender, the war of two wills becoming a war of four as Korra, Raava and the Chi Eater's dual spirits struggled for dominance. _There it was_.

"Gihihihihihi..." It laughed. This was the part where it won their last battle of wills. Korra's attempts were chipping away at the surface personality, but whatever was buried in its core had again made its presence known, this time much more readily. After all, the Avatar knew it existed now – what further use was there in hiding? Korra could feel her grip fading, but she refused to give up. She pulled up yet more water from the bay, hoping that more water would equal more power, but it didn't seem to make much of a difference. If it couldn't beat her, it would outlast her. She'd have to stop bending eventually and its body was still healing throughout the entirety of this last-ditch attempt at salvation. Whether it could dominate Korra and Raava's wills or not didn't matter anymore. It just had to last another 30 seconds and it'd break free, tear the Avatar limb-from-limb and be done with this annoyingly drawn-out battle.

"What are you waiting for!? Kill it, now!" Ryuuki shouted over the loud rushing of air. 30 seconds. Much to Korra's surprise, the Chi Eater began to stir from within its windy entrapment, and it was beginning to try and break free of the Airbending vortex. That it had strength enough to do so wasn't what surprised her, however, but rather the fact that it was able to move at all while it was still fighting off her Spirit/Energybending technique. Even with two separate spirits at work – that of the corrupted and what she assumed to be the embedded will of the corrupter – with both of them preoccupied with undoing any changes her bending made, it should not have been able to keep on fighting. Things were quickly beginning to spin out of her control, not that they were ever in her control to begin with. Her crafty, ancient foe continued to laugh while Lin's and Ryuuki's faces grew more dire. Korra growled.

"I can do this!" She stubbornly reiterated, the glowing of her Spiritbending water growing even brighter. But could she really? With how things were going, even she was beginning to have her doubts. 20 seconds. When it happened, she recognized the feeling immediately. The feeling as though words were being etched into the back of her mind, as though thoughts were being implanted into her head that weren't her own. Not for the purposes of influencing or controlling her, or even to convey a message, not this time – this time, it felt unintentional. There was no theatrics or isolation, there was no intentional contacting of her spirit as to beg her for help, there was just the sensation of a train of thought that wasn't her own worming its way into her consciousness. Something basic, primal – something she felt drove the Chi Eater or whatever had corrupted it and something it didn't want her to hear. But with their spirits essentially at war with one another with that water as a medium, certain things were bound to be transferred, intentionally or not.

̤̩̩̮̅̅͆̽̓ͥ͂͢i̙ ̮̜̉ͦw̮̦̟͓̎̈́ĩ͕͚́l̸̝ͤ̃ͣ̃̚ḷ̢̘̟ͫ͐̀̂ ̪n̴̥̫̉̏ͅo͖̬͉͒͂̉͑̅͊ͯt̜͉͖͓͇̼̔ͪ̃ͥͮ̒͝ ͖̭̣d͔͍ͩͧ̎͆̓͒͡i͎͎̯͈̝̞̞ͮeͫͯ͊̋  
>̩͇̔ͧ̃ͮͩ͒͂ͅḭ͈ ͎̘̞̺̫ͤ̀w͉̩̼̰̑͒ͧ͗́ͪḯ̼͋ͭ̀͜l̙̝͂̓̓ͣͪ̊̆ḷ̡͖̈ͣ̔́̈ ̪̮̟̱͌ň͒ͦ͏ǒ̞͉̼̃̂ͦ̀ṱ̦͟ ̩͖̳̜͍̳͒͑̾̈́̿̒dͯ̔͞i̦͇̪̙͕̓̎̍ͭͤ͑ͧe̡̹̞͓̮̞̼͎̐̔͗̀<br>͔̰̹̳̞͂̂ͬ̄ͣͫ̓i͊ ̻ͤw͇̯̭̖̫͍ͨ͛̍͟ͅi̞̎̃̊͌͂l̼͐͋͗̃̄ͨͅl̘̤̾̄͒̚ ͇̞̝͐ͧ̉ͮͭn̸̤̩̱̱͑ͩͣ̂̆͗ͬo̔͂t̳̝̑͗ͮ͢ ̟̮̰̽̂̈́̂͢ͅd̴̿ͩ̅i̤̠̠̦̭̣̎ͫe̴̟̫̟̭̠̿̈̿̅͛̑̒  
>̥́͐i̶̱̟͈̹̪̅̃ ̫͔͙̪̍̀w͓̰̯̘̪̦̣ͬ̆ͨ͊̋ͯi̢̿̂̂̇̒l̩̩̪͇͔͉l̻̲͙̙̰̳ͪ̍̿ ̳̜̙̗̞̩̱ͣͤͧ̓͐̀n̡̳͖̲͚̜̳̞ͧ̐̋̂̽̃ͮo̻̝̺͍̲ͪͤͬͫ͂t̻̮̦̭̹̗͕͛̑ ̺̟͚ͬͦͥ̉ͦ̒d͈̜͐̆̌ͩ́̄̚͘ị̼̤͔ͤ̒̄e̦̱͇̬̖ͪͮ<p>

She could hear it and yet she couldn't hear it, the message repeated... no, chanted, in the periphery of her awareness, recited like a mantra. "I will not die". Over and over and over again she heard it. "I will not die". It had a voice and yet it didn't. It was distorted, distant. It was as though she was recalling a memory she'd long forgotten and trying to hone in on details that had degraded over time. 15 seconds. The Chi Eater's power was steadily increasing and she could feel this as she heard something she couldn't hear and struggled to maintain a stalemate in an Energybending battle she could not afford to lose. This creature's abilities meant that she wasn't safe when she performed this technique. When she affected its energy through the water with her own, it created a portal through which it could attack her spirit and her energy directly. She had to remain ever-vigilant. More important than dominating this thing was simply making sure it – or whatever it was deep inside of it – didn't reach in and corrupt her, too.

"KORRA!" Tenzin called out. 10 seconds. Almost all of the holes in its body had disappeared and the writhing black beast was beginning to make some serious headway against the spiraling currents. It was now or never – attack and kill this thing or it _will_ break free. But she could feel it. The Chi Eater was struggling just as much as she was. Both of them were on the verge of breaking but Korra was convinced that it would be the one to cave first.

"I CAN DO THIS!" She screamed back. She was so close she could feel it, just as the Chi Eater could feel the same from the Avatar. She was exhausted, pouring everything she had into changing its nature while it put everything it had into maintaining its current state of mind, a state of mind easily directed and controlled by whatever had infected its soul and turned the presumably once docile spirit into the inky black beast known only as the Chi Eater. Was it a human, seeking power and immortality by taking command over a spirit? Given the mantra of what she was now convinced to be the central entity, she was beginning to side with that theory. Spirits didn't want to die, no, but only a human felt fear like this, fear whose echoes she was beginning to feel in the back of her mind like a distant memory, just like the voice attached.

̤̩̩̮̅̅͆̽̓ͥ͂͢i̙ ̮̜̉ͦw̮̦̟͓̎̈́ĩ͕͚́l̸̝ͤ̃ͣ̃̚ḷ̢̘̟ͫ͐̀̂ ̪n̴̥̫̉̏ͅo͖̬͉͒͂̉͑̅͊ͯt̜͉͖͓͇̼̔ͪ̃ͥͮ̒͝ ͖̭̣d͔͍ͩͧ̎͆̓͒͡i͎͎̯͈̝̞̞ͮeͫͯ͊̋  
>̩͇̔ͧ̃ͮͩ͒͂ͅḭ͈ ͎̘̞̺̫ͤ̀w͉̩̼̰̑͒ͧ͗́ͪḯ̼͋ͭ̀͜l̙̝͂̓̓ͣͪ̊̆ḷ̡͖̈ͣ̔́̈ ̪̮̟̱͌ň͒ͦ͏ǒ̞͉̼̃̂ͦ̀ṱ̦͟ ̩͖̳̜͍̳͒͑̾̈́̿̒dͯ̔͞i̦͇̪̙͕̓̎̍ͭͤ͑ͧe̡̹̞͓̮̞̼͎̐̔͗̀<br>͔̰̹̳̞͂̂ͬ̄ͣͫ̓i͊ ̻ͤw͇̯̭̖̫͍ͨ͛̍͟ͅi̞̎̃̊͌͂l̼͐͋͗̃̄ͨͅl̘̤̾̄͒̚ ͇̞̝͐ͧ̉ͮͭn̸̤̩̱̱͑ͩͣ̂̆͗ͬo̔͂t̳̝̑͗ͮ͢ ̟̮̰̽̂̈́̂͢ͅd̴̿ͩ̅i̤̠̠̦̭̣̎ͫe̴̟̫̟̭̠̿̈̿̅͛̑̒  
>̥́͐i̶̱̟͈̹̪̅̃ ̫͔͙̪̍̀w͓̰̯̘̪̦̣ͬ̆ͨ͊̋ͯi̢̿̂̂̇̒l̩̩̪͇͔͉l̻̲͙̙̰̳ͪ̍̿ ̳̜̙̗̞̩̱ͣͤͧ̓͐̀n̡̳͖̲͚̜̳̞ͧ̐̋̂̽̃ͮo̻̝̺͍̲ͪͤͬͫ͂t̻̮̦̭̹̗͕͛̑ ̺̟͚ͬͦͥ̉ͦ̒d͈̜͐̆̌ͩ́̄̚͘ị̼̤͔ͤ̒̄e̦̱͇̬̖ͪͮ<p>

The droning of its chant accentuated the Chi Eater's defiance. 5 seconds. Korra would not yield but the spirit would not bend, an unstoppable force having been met with an immovable object resulting in a stalemate which had wasted what may have been her only opportunity to end this thing in what was at first a fruitless attempt to purge it pure and save it, but quickly devolved into her being forced into keeping up the battle at risk of it corrupting her if she let up for even an instant. In actuality, it had wanted Korra to try and bend it again from the very beginning. It wanted her to waste her time. It wanted her to squander her only chance at stopping it by trying to be all just and compassionate. It was something it felt in abundance from her the first time their spirits clashed, back in the Arena. Just as she picked up on its fear now, it picked up on her traits then, and it used them against her to ensure its own survival.

Its body was healed. Its energy was restored. The Airbenders could no longer maintain the prison they'd created. With a 'toothy' grin, the Chi Eater ceased fighting right as Korra's endurance wore down to 0, the Spiritbending water collapsing into a puddle on the ground as she fell out of the Avatar state and onto her hands and knees.

i̱̯͇̙͚͕̒̄ͫͤ̂ͩ̑ͅ ̝̫̉͌͌ͩͭ̇ẅ͈́̈̌̀ͤͫ͘i̠̺͒͂͊̕ͅn̷̰̤͖͍̽̀̋̀ͧ̒

"I lost..." She realized now she'd fallen right into its trap and done what it expected of her. This battle was as good as over – they weren't going to get a chance to pin it down like that again. Its laughter reaching a crescendo, the Chi Eater unleashed now a mighty roar, dispelling the Airbending technique which ensnared it and knocking the 7 Airbenders off their feet, landing on the ground with a low thud. Korra was exhausted, but it seemed no less energetic than it was when the night began. The power at its disposal was damn near infinite. It could do this all night, and should the humans persist, likely would. Ravi, Ryuuki and the Beifongs immediately launched attacks, but it was as useless now as it was before. This time, it made no effort to move. The humans were running out of energy, but that was something the Chi Eater had in abundance.

It could eat any one of them, but given all the trouble that she had given it, the only one there it was intent on eating tonight was the Avatar herself. It wondered, would it be able to draw out Raava and eat her, too? It could always use another sizable boost in power... why not eat a primordial spirit of light? It was beginning to drool just thinking about it, bending attacks pelting its flesh to as little effect as they had all night. This time, the Chi Eater didn't even try to play with them, swatting the air and generating a shock wave which knocked them all down as it blurred to Korra's location, pinning her to the ground so that she was stuck staring at it face to face as it opened up its mouth to swallow her remaining chi, and her soul.

"Now... die..." An azure light. A hand of energy. A sudden flash of heat. A scream.

Before the Chi Eater could claim Korra as its next victim, an unexpected interloper made their presence known, a dark, hulking silhouette visible behind a stream of fire like Korra had only seen from a mecha suit – which, as it happened, was precisely what was generating it. Again, the spirit's dinner had been interrupted, but this time, it wasn't by a bender. Quite the opposite. This time, a normal human dared stand against it.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Korra's eyes widened. Was that... Asami's voice? A dull metallic thud resounded as the mecha suit's fist collided with the Chi Eater's form with force enough to knock it off of Korra and several feet behind her, the Avatar in its grip flung several feet in the opposite direction and skidding across the ground, bruised and fractured, but alive. As the tired and wounded Avatar struggled back onto her feet with the rest of the benders, the CEO in the mecha suit jumped away from her and the group gathering around her and right back at the inky black spirit, another punch driving it into the ground and creating a hole in its malleable chest, which quickly closed around Asami's suit's arm.

However, she was not unprepared, a sudden surge of electricity drawing out an agonizing scream as wires tore into the flesh that grew around her and paralyzed the creature with jolts of energy it had not anticipated. Breaking free her suit's right hand, the wires lodged inside of it remained attached and stretched out as she delivered another blow to the creature's face with her left, keeping it paralyzed with electricity all the while, knocking it back onto the ground where she unleashed two more sustained streams of fire from the flamethrowers mounted to the mecha suit's wrists before it could get the chance to recover.

"Asami...?" Korra wondered aloud, clutching her right arm and watching the scene unfold before her in wonder. What was _she_ doing here? She was supposed to have helped Lin and Mako get the attendees off of the island and then stay with Varrick and Raiko, where it was safe. And where the hell did she get that mecha suit? Korra wasn't about to wait around and see how this turned out, she was going to get back in there and help her girlfriend out before she got herself killed. As she stepped forward however, yet again, she nearly fell over in exhaustion, and yet again, she had to be caught before she hit the ground – this time by Tenzin, who shook his head, advising her not to go.

"Let her do this." He said. Korra scowled. Excuse her? "None of us are in any condition to fight anymore, least of all you. She's giving us an opening. Get ready to use it." The Airbending Master explained. Korra's expression softened somewhat. He wasn't wrong – everybody still around was exhausted and hurt in one way or another. They were all standing there just watching, panting, and Mako and Bolin had been taken out of the battle completely, taken back to the mainland in order to receive medical treatment. Even Korra was feeling the strain after so many failed attempts at Energybending and uses of the Avatar State. She could probably manage one more shift before she just completely collapsed, and to be honest she already felt like she was going to drop. The fact of the matter was that if she jumped in now, she'd just be getting in Asami's way and putting her in even _more_ danger.

Still, she hated this. She'd wanted to avoid this. She'd tried to convince Asami to stay behind precisely because of this. She was in over her head, but then, so was Korra and everybody else. And truthfully, if it wasn't for Asami's interference, Korra would probably be dead right now. She didn't want to leave her alone, but right now, Tenzin was right – nobody there was in any condition to take part in a drawn out battle like this anymore, and right now, she had the Chi Eater on the ropes. She was weakening it and giving them another opening, and knowing Asami, she probably had some sort of a contingency plan in case things went south, too. As scared as she was for her safety, Korra would just have to trust that her fiancee knew what she was doing right now.

Asami's flamethrowers were relentless, keeping the Chi Eater pinned to the ground in propulsive streams of fire each about as strong as a single jet of Ryuuki's signature blue flames, causing steady damage and chipping and burning away at its body like the Airbenders had been doing before her. The black beast roared, beside itself as to how it could be given so much trouble from mere humans. So far as it was concerned, it was one of the most powerful beings in either world, and yet, somehow, it'd been so badly damaged and forced into a corner yet _again_, this time by a lowly non-bender and her machine, a fact which only served to piss it off further.

Though it was now missing one of its arms, had had a hole punched through its chest, and a sizable dent had put into its clay-like face, the Chi Eater was no less vicious or unable to defend itself, finally dispelling the flames with a shock wave generated from the arm that was still attached, intending to knock Asami and her mecha suit down in the process. Shockingly, however, she had weathered the attack completely unscathed, firing the rods attached to the mecha suit's legs deep into the cratered the ground below, standing firm against the wave of force and reaching out to meet the Chi Eater with another punch as it brazenly rushed in towards her. By this point, however, it had had enough, becoming temporarily incorporeal and fazing inside of the machine to rip it apart from the inside out.

"What!?" Asami panicked as the instruments within the suit began to malfunction, lights flashing on and off as the Chi Eater wreaked havoc with its internal workings. Right, she'd almost forgotten spirits could do that. Thankfully, the escape hatch wasn't electronic. Immediately opening the top of the suit before she lost complete control, as she hopped out of it from above and ran to the safety of the 13 benders, the Chi Eater walked leisurely out of it from behind. She hadn't been able to completely immobilize it, but she'd done enough – it was healing again, but slowly, slow enough that, just like before, it wouldn't be able to react at full capacity again until that hole had closed and that arm regrew. But as soon as it stepped out of that mecha suit and became corporeal, it was met with an unexpectedly vicious barrage from the Earthbenders and the now lone Firebender it had been fighting before.

"We'll finish chipping away at it, you go make sure Korra's okay!" Ravi shouted to his old friend, the dark-haired girl nodding and running away from the Chi Eater and the benders to meet up with her bruised and confused fiancee. They may not have had the energy to engage it in a full-fledged battle anymore, but that wasn't to say that they couldn't kick it while it was down and finish what Asami had started. She gave them an opening and now they were going to take it and whittle it down to a point where the Airbenders could ensnare it once more. Forming a line across the granite bridge which would separate the Chi Eater from Korra, Asami and the Airbenders, Ravi, Su, Lin, Huan and Ryuuki had built a veritable wall of bending which was now pushing the Chi Eater back with a series of ferocious attacks it was impressed they were still capable of dishing out. And here it thought _it_ was the one with inexhaustible energy, what the hell _were_ these people?

"Persistent... bugs...!" It cried out as its form was pop marked for the umpteenth time tonight, growing increasingly more enraged at the persistence of its enemies. It raised its remaining arm to swat them all away, but Su caught it with a metal cable and yanked it back down before it could bend the air around it while Lin used her wires like a grappling hook, propelling herself to its spindly upper arm. Clinging to its body, she could feel its "flesh" grow up around her, almost immediately ensnaring her feet and left hand as she reached her right arm back, bending a blade of metal from her wrist and lopping the remaining limb off with a single swing. The Chi Eater screamed as its arm fell harmlessly to the ground, though its attempts to absorb Lin still hadn't stopped.

As she struggled to pull herself free from the tar-like substance, Su retracted her cable momentarily and then sent it back at her sister, wrapping it around her body and forcibly extracting her from the severed limb's grasp as it gradually dissolved into a puddle on the ground. While Ravi and Huan maintained a steady barrage of Earthbending attacks from the heavily cratered bridge and pushed it back with some help from Ryuuki, Lin's sister helped her back up onto her feet, the Chief of Police wiping the sweat from her brow. "Thanks, that was a close one." She stated simply, but gratefully. Su just smiled.

"Don't get too soft on me now, we've got a spirit to pin back down." She replied. Lin smirked. That they did. Having now quite literally disarmed the Chi Eater, they returned to their previous line of attack, aiding Ravi and Huan in Earthbending attacks at the Chi Eater's head and chest, gradually generating more holes and dents that further restrained its movements faster than it could heal. They were running out of steam, but they should be able to keep this up for just a little bit longer. All they had to do was wait until Korra and the Airbenders were ready.

Meanwhile, back with Korra and the others, the Water Tribe girl was furious, breaking away from Tenzin's support and shouting at her fiancee as soon as she made her approach, approaching the green-eyed girl in turn. "What are you doing here? You were supposed to help people evacuate and then go join Raiko and Varrick where it's safe!" She yelled, clutching her chest with her left arm and wincing in pain as soon as she did. The force of the Chi Eater grabbing hold of her and pinning her to the ground like that combined with its suddenly being attacked and throwing her backwards had definitely left a mark, it felt like she'd fractured a rib or two. Combined with her exhaustion from four trips into the Avatar state and two failed wars of attrition with the wills of multiple parties, she was finding it awfully difficult to stand up right about now without her former teacher's support, Asami noticing this almost immediately and effortlessly moving in to help prop her up. Even despite Korra's anger, Asami just smiled. She was just glad she'd made it here in time.

"What, you didn't think I was going to let you have all the fun, did you?" Asami asked, trying to lighten the mood. Korra was unamused. Now wasn't the time for fooling around, which Asami had realized almost immediately afterward, her face becoming deathly serious as she noticed Korra's desperate expression. She was tired, hurt, angry, confused and scared, and every other negative emotion the engineer had ever seen on her face before, her icy blue eyes demanding answers. "...Varrick had the suit stashed nearby in case the Chi Eater attacked tonight. He _was_ going to use it himself, but I insisted." And by insisted she meant "made serious threats of bodily harm" if he got in her way. The fact of the matter was that she and Zhu Li were _both_ better with these things than he was, and by her estimation, she was the only one with a fiancee out there going toe-to-toe with a homicidal spirit. Obviously, the choice was clear, Zhu Li willingly stepping aside and letting Asami take the suit in her stead.

Korra sighed. Of course it had something to do with Varrick. This was _exactly_ what she was hoping to avoid tonight. Though she was still visibly upset, she immediately threw her arms around Asami, ignoring the pain in her right shoulder and chest and pulling her into the tightest hug she could manage. She was just glad Asami was alright, that was beyond stupid. Surprised at first, Asami eventually eased into it, resting her face on Korra's head as the two shared in a brief moment of reprieve, though she was unable to return the favor of the hug on account of Korra's grip pinning her arms to her sides and starting to cut off her circulation a little bit. "Er, Korra, you're kind of starting to hurt me now..." She said.

"Good, you deserve it, dumbass..." She mumbled into the taller girl's shoulder, pulling away at her request. "...But thank you." She said, flashing a smile. Until Asami had showed up, the Chi Eater had everyone right where it wanted them. If it weren't for her, Korra would probably be dead right now. Asami returned the favor, her smile quickly fading when her eyes darted back to the scene unfolding to her right, the heavily damaged Chi Eater being pushed further and further back towards the arena by the line of benders while Korra caught her breath, thanking the spirits that she and Asami were alright. Much as she may have wanted to tend to her partner's wounds and let her rest, they weren't out of the woods just yet. She still had work to do.

"You can thank me later – I don't think they're going to be able to hold that thing off much longer." Asami hesitantly warned, the shambling form of the Chi Eater once held at bay by the benders' attacks now starting to slowly walk forward despite them, the benders in question visibly losing steam at an accelerated rate. Everybody was tired. The only one that wasn't was the spirit they were fighting, but they'd damaged its body enough that they'd limited its options and made it difficult for it to respond until it healed. It was the same situation they had it in before, when Korra opted to try and save it one more time as opposed to kill it – a mistake she wouldn't be making again. "Do you think you can handle it?" Asami asked, though she already knew what Korra's answer would be. Whether she could or not, it was going to be "yes".

"Of course I can. I'm the Avatar." She smirked, trying to put on a strong front for her fiancee. Asami just smiled supportively, nodding. She was tired, but no less confident. If there was anything Korra had in abundance, it was confidence and determination. So long as she still had those, Asami knew she would be just fine. Looking over at the Chi Eater, Korra's smirk quickly faded. She had no choice anymore, especially not after it attacked Asami like that. This thing had to die. _"Are you ready, Raava?"_ Korra asked, directing her thoughts to the spirit who shared her body, said spirit still being close to the surface, so-to-speak. They both knew wouldn't get another chance after this. There was no way to whittle this thing back down if they failed, and after Korra came out of the Avatar State this time, she'd almost certainly be down for the count. It was now or never.

"_Yes. __I appreciate your __persistence in trying to save it, but it__ is time we put this spirit out of its misery."_ The light spirit replied, disappointed, but determined. There were no alternatives anymore. Whatever had contacted them was likely too fragmented to be saved and this thing's killing spree had gone on long enough. It was time to correct her mistake and finish this, once and for all. Looking over at Tenzin, the young Avatar gave the old master the go-ahead, the older Airbender understanding immediately what she meant as she walked away from Asami's support and back toward the line of benders confronting the spirit, the Airbenders right behind her.

Stepping into a side stance, she winced as she moved her arms, though she didn't seem to pay the pain much more mind than that. It may have hurt to move right now, but once she got back into the Avatar State, it should actually help to heal her injuries some. It didn't just provide her with extra power, it boosted her healing and endurance, as well, in an attempt to protect her from harm. That wasn't to say it was absolute, however. A well placed or powerful enough attack could still do her in if she wasn't careful, regardless of whatever boosts it may have granted her.

"Everybody, one more time!" Tenzin called, Opal, Ryu, Kai and the kids all nodding. While Korra prepared to launch herself into the Avatar state one more time and take this thing out, Ryuuki and the Earthbenders banded together to deliver one last group attack, utilizing every remaining ounce of strength they had to knock this bastard off its feet and set the stage for its final downfall.

Azure embers trailed Ryuuki's finger tips as he ripped his arms apart and then brought them back together in front of him in a mighty clap, an explosive arc of blue fire as wide as his arms could stretch and equaling the breadth of the Chi Eater's shoulders blazing forward with speed enough that it could not simply zip out of the way, two subsequent waves from spinning kicks in the air following them up and striking its wide body once, twice, three times, the creature trying to brace itself and sliding back with each blow while Ryuuki moved forward with every swing. It was remarkable, really, the level of skill and power Ryuuki maintained even in such a seemingly exhausted state. He must've consistently trained himself to the point of exhaustion to keep up such remarkable speed and precision.

At the same time, Ravi and the Beifongs led an assault of their own, two pipes once hidden below the bridge seismically sensed and then drudged up by Su and Lin and thrust through the Chi Eater's clawed feet and into the hard granite below like nails right after Ryuuki's first wave made contact, limiting its movement further and nearly knocking the armless behemoth off balance and onto its back until it caught itself with its tail, which it quickly whipped around to strike at the boulders being levied at it currently by Huan and Ravi, debris they'd created from previous attacks being reused as to not too greatly dismantle the battered bridge they were fighting on. It pierced and exploded several rocks with little effort, but when Ryuuki's next two attacks flew its way, it could no longer so readily defend itself, the flames again propelling it backwards with their concussive force, the "nails" digging trenches through its feet as it slid slowly backwards.

They were trying to ground it on its back so that it wouldn't be able to so quickly recover its footing and move out of the way when the Airbenders performed their final technique, the same imprisoning one from before it reckoned, but it wasn't going to give them the chance. While it could spring two more tails from its back to stabilize itself or beef up its body somewhat, doing so would further slow down and take power away from its healing, which was currently more important if it wished to feast and/or book it out of here. This was what the benders were counting on, however, and when it retracted its tail to stabilize itself again, the metal pipes which had been bent and sharpened to impale its feet took off through its shins and skewered the appendage in question, an angered roar as it just barely managed to restabilize itself before it lost its tail for the second time tonight, eying the Metalbending sisters with disdain.

It faced no reprieve as the ground beneath its feet turned against it and shifted, the debris upon which it stood being yanked out from under it by Huan while Ravi ran in to deliver the final crippling blow himself, a large amount of granite collected around his right fist in a massive gauntlet that stretched up his forearm, with a lesser amount collected around his feet. Without its arms or tail to maintain its balance and orientation, the Chi Eater was threatening to fall back or onto its side at any moment, struggling with every ounce of strength it had to stay standing as it staggered backwards, but as Ravi propelled himself into the air, leapt for the Chi Eater's chest and delivered one hell of a painful punch with his gauntleted hand, there was no more fighting what was to come. It fell to the ground, landing on its back with a roar and a crash, while Ravi propelled himself away from the Chi Eater with the armor he had created, firing the rocks through the healing portion of its chest like bullets and reopening the hole Asami had created.

"NOW!" Ravi shouted as he flew backwards, having kicked off of the Chi Eater's abdomen with the granite he'd previously assembled around his feet as to avoid it doing to him what it did to Lin earlier in the fight. The Airbenders immediately responded, the Chi Eater snarling when it felt the air currents bend around it. No, not again. Enough was enough, the healing could wait – the humans were on the ropes and it wasn't about to let them bounce back and put it in the same position, not again. Never again. The gradual healing suddenly ceased as it spawned two more tails to prop itself back up, trying to generate as little matter as possible as to conserve energy, energy it put right back into healing once it'd finished and sprung back into an upright position, quickly spitting concussive waves from its "broken" mouth which were dissipated by the spiraling winds around it before they could shatter its targets. It was too late. It had waited too long.

"Cursed... humans..." The Chi Eater growled, its legs ripped from under it and tails cut in half as the air became visible and violent, a spherical prison lifting the dark spirit from the ground and suspending it in the air where it could do no harm, several shock waves it tried to generate diffused by the wind, its remaining limbs initially sustaining damage as it screeched and thrashed about in an attempt to wiggle out of the technique's hold, but then simply being pushed and compressed inward as it picked up speed and the Airbenders' grip tightened around it, the power and control of 7 Airbenders at once too much for it to contend with in its damaged and weakened state.

The fact of the matter was that between those two energy attacks and Korra's destruction of so much of its body, it was no longer able to heal fast enough to keep up with the damage that was being done to it by the benders, however minor. It wasn't that it was out of power – it still had plenty to spare – but it had been so badly beaten by this point that it couldn't just shrug off the lopping off of a limb or the peppering of its body with holes like before. It was like a cup which refills itself at a set rate so that you never run out of drink. While it _will_ keep on refilling itself, if you drink too fast, you will eventually reach the bottom and be forced to wait until it refilled enough that there was something there to drink again. That was essentially what was going on with the Chi Eater.

While it had a nigh infinite reservoir of power at its disposal, not all of that power was immediately accessible. Throughout the being's whole, its power was divided – if it collected it all into one place, it would surely destroy itself. So instead, it divided it into pieces, collecting the energy it drained from those it ate into different "tanks" and then emptying those "tanks" into its core as necessary. Only problem was, it'd used that energy too liberally and emptying those tanks took time. Time it didn't have. That girl... that Avatar... her Energybending abilities were more than it had anticipated. Though she could not quell its spirit and she surely couldn't have known how it stored its power and how to use that to her advantage, she had nevertheless succeeded in vastly limiting what it could do and in doing so, paved the way to its destruction.

When she had destroyed 80% of its body and forced it to make an escape and was then surrounded by 14 benders, it made the decision to devote a large portion of its central spirit's power into restoring its form to an even greater one than before and eat them all at once, a decision that proved to be disastrous in the long run. It was as much to blame for its current predicament as that damned Avatar was. Ceasing its screeching and thrashing about, it fell silent, knowing full well that there was no escaping what was to come anymore. It had lost. And when the familiar taste of Raava's energy reached its serpentine tongue, it knew its fate was sealed. This time, it would die.

When Korra went into the Avatar State one last time, the 5 in front ran and took shelter behind her as a surge of power rippled through the area, Air bending and twisting and rushing around her just like it was around the Chi Eater, her eyes glowing bright white and her feet lifting from the ground as she began to levitate in place, moving her arms to bend the four elements around her while the Airbenders inched back as they maintained the Chi Eater's prison, dragging it slightly closer to Korra as they did. The next elements to bend around her were Earth and Water, debris and overturned slabs from the bridge condensing and collecting around her barrier of Air as Water streamed up from the bay on both sides, the Chi Eater capable of doing little more than stare as the Avatar prepared to end its life, even its growling having by this point come to an end. How? How did it end up like this?

Finally came the Fire, red and orange exploding from her mouth and limbs and twisting and bending around the barrier like the elements before it, the Avatar's iconic simultaneous bending technique fully realized as a simultaneously defensive and destructive barrier of all four elements. But it was not with this barrier that she would be striking down the Chi Eater, but rather what she was making from it, its back tapering out and narrowing into what at first looked like a scorpion's tail until the barrier thinned and wrapped around her in a lone helix – a spear of the elements – coiled and ready to strike at Korra's command. As she and Raava bended bits of their own energies into the weapon, they were ready to go in for the kill, delivering one more message to their enemy before they did, their voices blended as one as the Avatar conveyed the words and the will of the Spirit of Light within.

"**Piteous spirit, the fear and ****the ****pain you have inflicted upon the ****two worlds**** cannot be overlooked. ****Corrupt though you may be, y****ou and t****he one who has infected and ****transformed**** you ha****ve**** refused the chance to change and left us with no other choice. Today, ****the suffering ****you have caused**** shall come to an end, ****permanently****."** The Avatar declared, the spear of the elements she stayed slowly twisting so that its tip was now pointed directly at the Chi Eater's core. Its head lowered and its eyes narrowing, the vacant blue still somehow managed to convey the disdain and lack of concern for its current predicament it held. It had no regrets. **"May you go in peace."** They wished, the Avatar's ultimate attack closing the gap between her and the "piteous spirit", instantly piercing through and canceling out the 7 Airbenders' technique and drilling into the core of the thousand year old chi eating spirit.

As soon as her weapon had made contact, the world around Korra once again fell deathly silent, lights and colors exploding from the creature's "flesh" without a sound as time slowed to a crawl. She could feel it again. The calling out for her attention, the connection of their spirits. But while before what she had experienced was cold and dark and desolate – endless blackness with a barely managed cry for help – this time, what she encountered was only peace and bliss, time standing still and her vision changing as she found herself back in the Spirit World, standing alone in a meadow before a lone tree and a tall white and gold spirit vaguely similar in shape and size to the Chi Eater. Was this the Chi Eater's memory? Was that what it really looked like?

Still she could hear no sound, but as she stood there, she could feel a breeze caress her flesh, blowing flower petals and blades of grass through the air in front of her, between herself and the Chi Eater's true form, several smaller spirits of varying forms and types appearing behind it. Were those its victims, the ones which had cried out for her to help before? As she stood and looked on in wonder, the gentle, dark-eyed spirit simply smiled warm, mouthing out two words before the moment could come to an end and her vision shifted back to reality, two words that put her conscience at ease. "Thank you". She reached out to touch the spirit she saw before her, but before she could get too close, the vision ended and she was back to reality, driving her spear through the Chi Eater's heart. In a single attack, 1200 years came to an end.

As she drove the elements deeper, she could feel the connections it maintained to the spirits stored within it sever one by one. There were fewer than she'd initially assumed... perhaps this was why it went on the prowl every 25 years? After all, nothing lasts forever. With every spirit severed and destroyed, the black and blue Chi Eater she was more accustomed to seeing grew weaker, its power rapidly depleting as it was ripped apart from the inside out. Before its consciousness could completely fade however, it let out one more mighty roar, this one not of anger, or hunger, or intimidation, but of pain, and sadness, and defeat, its body run through with the Avatar's attack and plowed into the ground, the bridge around it beginning to crack and crumble under stress as wisps of energy of every color escaped from where the elements drilled.

Then, the spirit fell limp, the Avatar's attack running its course as she felt the final two spirits – the ones at its core responsible for all this mess – be consumed with light and destroyed, the elemental spear disappearing into what was left behind as the Chi Eater's shell dissolved into light like Vaatu before it, floating up into the air above and disappearing into the void, forever. In the end, even if she hadn't figured out who or what had corrupted the Chi Eater in the first place, she'd still managed to save it, in a way. She supposed that in its mind, death was better than remaining a slave to a will that wasn't its own. Whatever the case, finally, it was over. As Raava's power left her, Korra grunted beneath her breath, her eyes fading back to normal, rolling back and then closing as she fell to the ground, completely drained and unable to move.

As she fell, the portion of the bridge where the Chi Eater once stood and her simultaneous bending had dug into it collapsed completely, sinking into the bay only a few feet in front of her while she could feel her consciousness beginning to fade. She'd overexerted herself. Tapping into the Avatar State was as beneficial to her as it was dangerous, supercharging her energy by blending it with Raava's own, but it still took a toll on her. She may have been able to call upon that level of power 2, 3, maybe even 4 times if she was lucky, but 5? And with 2 Energybending duels and at least one instance of the simultaneous bending of all four elements between them? That was just too much, even for her. It was a miracle she'd fought as long as she had, honestly – a testament to her boundless determination.

"-or-a!?" As she felt herself slipping, she could hear a muffled voice call her name and feel the dull vibrations of footsteps and the soft touch of familiar fingers grazing and cradling her flesh. She smiled as much as her tired face would allow, letting go whatever will to keep awake she had left when she realized whose arms she was in. There was no safer place for her than here.

"Asami..." She whispered, her consciousness fading with the gentle stroking of her hair. The battle was finally over. She'd earned this.

* * *

><p>The next time Korra awoke, she found herself in the hospital. She hated hospitals, more specifically being treated in them. They made her feel uncomfortable. Visiting friends and family or taking someone in or helping out with healing duties was one thing, but she hated that innate feeling of powerlessness that came with being a registered patient in one. Call it an acquired distaste. But when she noticed the hand holding tightly onto hers and the dark-haired girl asleep in a chair she'd pulled up to be directly next to her bed, those feelings of uncomfortableness quickly melted away. So long as she was here, it couldn't be so bad, she supposed, smiling. "Hey." She stated simply, her voice cracking from the dryness of her throat. How long had she been out? She really hoped she hadn't made Asami worry too much. As the girl to her right stirred, she supposed she'd be getting her answer.<p>

"...Korra?" Asami asked, her eyes fluttering open. "...You're awake. Thank the spirits..." She remarked, her grip on the Avatar's hand tightening. She stood up from her chair so that she could get a better look at her fiancee, reaching out with her other hand to stroke Korra's face. The blue-eyed girl smiled. Asami was crying. Tears of joy, her smile assured. Asami helped her sit up, the two of them sharing in a hug. She felt like she'd been out for a while, but she wasn't sure how long. All she knew was that she'd exhausted herself more in that one battle than she'd felt since Zaheer, and honestly, she _still_ felt tired. But at least now she could take solace in the fact that it was over.

"How long have I been out?" She asked while she and Asami continued hugging. She'd changed out of her dress from the night of the premiere, so it'd been at least a day, and she'd neglected to put on any makeup, meaning she'd been sitting here for a while. Had she even been showing up for work? Maybe she left it to Ravi for a couple of days. He'd have understood if she did. Korra couldn't help but feel a little guilty at the thought, though. She'd just overexerted herself was all, there was no need for Asami to leave her company for her sake.

"Three days." She replied. Three days? She really _had_ overdone it, huh? She still felt drained. That spirit... just what was it? The last time their spirits connected, that scene she saw in the meadow... the battle may have been over, but she felt like her work had only just begun. Thankfully, with the Chi Eater dead and whatever had infected and corrupted it presumably dying right along with it, she figured the rest of it would just be investigative work. Maybe she could get the Chief's permission to have Mako and Bolin assist her. They _were_ detectives, after all (or at least, detective and detective in training? Was Bolin even a detective? It was kind of unclear), and this _was_ still technically their case. Which reminded her...

"What about Mako and Bolin? Are they okay? Last I saw of them, Wei and Wing were taking them back to the mainland..." Korra thought aloud as she and Asami's hug came to an end. Asami nodded.

"They're going to be fine. Mako was very weak for a day or two, but he's already back on the beat. Bolin fractured a few ribs and broke his right arm, but with a few more healing sessions they think he should be good as new. Right now he's helping Mako and the Chief handle wrapping up the Chi Eater case." She explained.

"Thank goodness..." Korra sighed with relief. Honestly, she was surprised. With the way the Chi Eater had knocked him around, she'd have expected just about every bone in Bolin's body to have been broken right now. She guessed all those years on the streets and in the Pro Bending circuit and traveling the Earth Territories in Kuvira's Army really toughened him up. She had to start giving him more credit, he always seemed to defy her expectations. Hearing that Mako was okay was a relief, though. The Chi Eater had almost made him its next victim. If Bolin hadn't interrupted when he did... she guessed a few seconds weren't enough to cause any permanent harm. He was lucky. They all were.

"...What about you?" She continued. The Chi Eater thankfully hadn't gotten the chance to attack her, but god, she must've been worried sick these past few days. She looked like hell, but she wasn't any less beautiful in Korra's eyes. Even dirty, unkempt and without any makeup on, she was gorgeous. Asami's smile widened.

"I'm fine, don't worry." She replied. She knew what Korra meant. "I'm just glad that you're alright. The doctors said you'd be fine, you just needed to rest, but I was still worried, you know? I didn't know what that spirit did to you, for all I knew it could've taken you with it when it died, or..." She stopped herself before Korra could. Korra was fine. There was no reason to worry over what could've been, only to celebrate for what was. "...Sorry, I've just been overthinking things these past few days." She apologized. Korra held back a chuckle. Was it wrong she found her worrying kind of cute? "How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Well, my shoulder hurts like hell and I feel like I haven't slept in a week, but other than that, I feel fine." Korra smiled. All that sleep and it felt like she hadn't gotten any. Energybending in its traditional spirit-to-spirit form was more taxing than she'd anticipated. "Everything's going to be fine now..." She thought aloud, her eyes narrowing with joy as her smile widened. A thousand year long nightmare had finally come to an end. Now that was something to be happy about. Asami nodded. Everything was going to be fine.

"...Oh, President Raiko wanted me to tell you that you're free to testify in Kuvira's trial whenever you're ready. They're going to hold off on final deliberations until you've recovered and spoken your piece." The engineer mentioned. Korra wasn't one to revel in moments of reprieve like this if there was still work to be done, and Asami knew it. She may have wanted Korra to take a day or two to herself and finish recovering, but so long as she was awake and able to walk, she also knew she wouldn't be able to stop her from getting right back to work.

Besides, testifying at a trial would be a lot less strenuous than continuing the investigation around the Chi Eater, something else Asami knew Korra wouldn't be able to keep herself from. That girl was a real workaholic. Not that Asami wasn't the same if she was involved with a particularly interesting project or putting together a new invention of hers, but still. She could learn to take it easy and take mini vacations here and there. ...Even if they came not even two days after a bigger vacation. Life, man.

Korra let herself chuckle this time, well aware of what Asami wanted to say after that, "Though I think you should take another day or two". She wasn't really complaining, this time around. She was exhausted. Another day or two sounded perfect. "Thanks. I'll get to it tomorrow, probably. All I want to do today is get back home and go to sleep." Said the girl who'd been asleep the past three days. Asami chuckled next.

"What do you know, you _can_ teach an old dog new tricks. Never thought you'd be one to take it easy." Asami teased. Korra shook her head, sliding her legs over the side of the bed and looking down. She was in a hospital gown. Of course. She hated these things. Where did they put her clothes?

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I don't have a giant robot to topple or a homicidal spirit to stop this time, I can afford to take another day or two. They're giving me time." As she looked around the room, Asami walked over to the couch, handing Korra her normal clothes. She'd apparently grabbed them from the closet whenever it was that she went home and changed out of her dress. Korra thanked the taller girl, looking over her shoulder to make sure the door was closed before taking off the gown and getting dressed. The sooner she got out of here, the better.

"Are you sure you still _want_ to testify? Don't get me wrong, I think it's admirable what you're doing and I still support you if you're still going to do it, but I don't know if you're going to be able to change the jury's mind alone. From what I've been hearing these past couple of days, just about everybody is calling for Kuvira's head, Su and Lin included." Korra's smiled faded, but she remained silent, continuing to listen as she put on her shirt. "And I noticed the way Bolin and Opal looked at each other in the car when you mentioned wanting to take part. I think they know what you're going to say as well as I do. Bolin is one thing, but Opal... she almost lost her family to that woman, and she's not the only one. Others have had it worse. There's a lot of hate." Asami explained, wanting to catch her fiancee up on what was going on and alerting her to the state of things with the others, not that Korra wasn't already at least partially aware.

Now fully dressed except for her shoes, Korra sat back down on the bed, sighing. She knew what she was in for here, but that's precisely why she was doing this. She was the only one that would. "I know, there _is_ a lot of hate, that's why I need to testify. Kuvira... I get her. I almost _was_ her. Maybe what she's done is unforgivable, maybe it isn't. But I don't think killing her is going to fix anything. I understand why she did what she did and I think she genuinely cares for her people. If I can, I want to try and give her the chance to atone and actually help the Earth Territories as a part of her sentence. We'll see how it goes." Korra explained. Asami's smile quickly returned. She really had become a more compassionate person, hadn't she?

"I think that's a very kind thing to do. I hope you can get through to them, and to her." Asami replied.

"I'll try my best." Korra smiled. Putting on her socks and boots, Korra was now fully dressed and ready to go, standing back up and stretching out her back. She'd been lying down too long, she could still feel her joints crack. First thing tomorrow, training session. Alone or not, she had to make up for three days of sleeping, that was just unforgivable. As she prepared to grab Asami and leave the room, there was a knock at her door, a nurse walking in and noticing that the Avatar had already hopped out of bed and gotten dressed.

"Um, Avatar Korra, the doctor hasn't cleared you to go just yet..." He stated hesitantly, not sure if he'd be able to convince the Avatar to wait another hour or two for the doctor to show up. Korra smirked.

"Well, they're not the only healer here, and I know my body better than they do. I'm fine." She stated with confidence. Before the nurse could say anything more, however, the doctor in question happened to pass by, noticing that Korra was finally up.

"Oh, you're awake, excellent!" The doctor stated as she entered the room, shaking the Avatar's hand. "Glad to see you're feeling better. You think you're good to go?" She asked, looking over her charts one more time while she awaited Korra's answer. Everything seemed to be in order.

"Yeah, you guys did a pretty good job healing my injuries. All I've got is a bruised shoulder and a hankering for an actual bed, these things are really uncomfortable..." She groaned, rubbing the small of her back. The doctor laughed. They got that a lot. Still, it beat sleeping on the ground in the Spirit World for 2 months.

"Good, good. Well, everything seems to be in order. Given the nature of the spirit you were fighting, we called in some of our best healers to make sure everything was okay in regards to your spirit and your chi. No negative side effects so far as we can tell." The doctor explained, smiling. "You're free to go." Korra's smile widened. Excellent. Thanking the doctor and the nurse, she and Asami grabbed the last of their things, checked out and headed for Asami's car. She'd forgotten it was painted in her colors. The Avatar smiled.

"You know, I've been starting to realize lately how long you've actually had feelings for me," Korra remarked, an amused grin on her face. "It's kind of cute, honestly. Sorry I made you wait so long." She lightly apologized. Asami laughed.

"Don't worry about it. You came around eventually, dense as you are. That's all that matters." She teased. Korra huffed. Dense? Well, she'd never. The two shared another laugh, Korra taking a seat on the passenger side and letting the business tycoon who owned the car drive it. She was still pretty tired, last thing she wanted was fall asleep at the wheel, get them into a crash and land both of them back in the hospital. That would be unpleasant, albeit kind of hilarious. Turning the key to the ignition, as the car roared to life, Asami grinned, mimicking Korra from a few days prior and looking in the Water Tribe girl's direction. Wasn't every day somebody got to drive the Avatar. Unless your name was Asami Sato, anyway, in which case it very well _could_ be every day if she wanted.

"So, where to next, Ms. Sato?" Asami teased. Korra raised an eyebrow, smiling wide. Really now? Ms. Sato? Well, they _were_ betrothed, after all... she may as well start getting used to it now, right?.

"Just take me home, Ms. Sato." She playfully replied.

"As you wish." Asami sang, shifting the vehicle out of park. "Next stop, the Sato Estate."

Home.

After everything that'd happened these past few days, there was honestly nowhere Korra would rather be, and no one Korra would rather be there with. Tomorrow she'd be getting right back to work, but today? She had the whole day to rest and spend with Asami, and she wouldn't have it any other way. After all, a victory was a victory, and a victory was to be celebrated, so that's exactly what she was going to do.

Tomorrow afternoon, the real work began.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Don't worry, this isn't the end! This is a pretty intense fight, but we're only at about the half-way point of this story. As has been the case since the beginning, not everything is as it seems. I still have plenty more planned and the story's only get more intense from here. So buckle up and enjoy the ride - it's about to start getting _wild_.


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